Sword and Shield
by Emblem of Water
Summary: When a 12 year old Shirou finds himself in another world with no explanation how he got there, he knew he was in trouble. The fact that he woke up in a cage, a Slave Crest on his chest and odd new additions to his body underscored this fact. Naofumi, the disgraced Shield Hero, did not care about any of that. He just needed these two raccoon demi-humans to be able to fight. AU.
1. Game On

**Sword and Shield**

**Book 1: Game On**

_Why am I so sore?_

Shirou groaned pitifully as he shifted in his sleep. His entire body ached and his bed felt unusually lumpy and uncomfortable. Calling the soreness in his body an ache was underselling it greatly, though. It felt as if his entire body was one big bruise. Even the pain he experienced when creating a Circuit, the equivalent of inserting a scalding hot iron bar into his spine, when he practiced Magecraft could not hope to compare to this pain. What the hell had happened?

He slowly forced his eyes open, and immediately realized something was very, very wrong. For one, he was no longer in his bedroom where, last he could remember, he had gone to sleep.

Second, sturdy steel bars surrounded him on all sides. He was in a cage.

"..!"

Gasping in shock and bewilderment, Shirou forced himself to sit upright in spite of the pain and looked around wildly. What he saw made his stomach drop like an anvil.

Like previously mentioned he was in a cage, laying down on an old and dirty piece of cloth that wasn't nearly large enough for him to sleep comfortably on. Lining the breadth and width of the dim room he found himself in were dozens upon dozens of cages. He could barely see them through the oppressive gloom, but each and every cage housed at least one other individual.

All of them were as trapped and helpless as he was. Moreover there was something strange with all of them. He could barely make them out, but some of them didn't exactly have human proportions and… did some of them have extra limbs or something?!

A weak cough was heard to his side, making his ears twitch, and Shirou turned to look.

A little girl was sitting in the corner of the cage beside his, as if trying to hide, though because of her proximity he could see her now that his eyes had adjusted to the dark surroundings. She looked a little younger than him, maybe about ten years old. Her skin was dry and sickly looking. Her hair was unkempt and filthy. She wore nothing but rags and her eyes, they appeared dead to the world, as if she was a corpse that hadn't realized that she was already dead.

Moreover, she had two rounded ears on top of her head and a long, bushy tail was curled around her. The extra appendages distinctly reminded him of a raccoon.

Shirou looked at wide eyed at the extra appendages "What the hell…" the words slipped out before he even realized he'd said them.

The girl apparently heard him. Her head turned to look at him, but she didn't say anything. She simply gave him a dead eyed stare. Like a fish on a chopping board.

He swallowed thickly at the look and his ears and tail twitched in his unease…

_Wait… Ears and… tail…_

Slowly, hesitantly, he raised one of his hands and felt around on the top of his head, even as his other hand felt along the ground behind him.

Bump. Bump. Twitch. The rounded raccoon ears on top of his head, the ears that hadn't been there before he had gone to sleep, twitched as he touched them. The long, bushy tail that was attached to his behind swung away as he touched it before curling about his person.

Even though he was already aching terribly, a trembling and wide eyed Shirou pinched his arm. He felt a sharp pain. Nope, he was definitely awake and not having some strange, overblown nightmare. Despite how unbelievable it seemed, he somehow, inexplicably, after going to sleep found himself in a cage with animal parts attached to him.

Before the panic attack that had been building up for a while could fully set in, he'd one odd and random thought pop up in his head.

_Taiga-onee-san is going to kill me…_

* * *

**[Status Magic Main Menu]  
**Emiya Shirou (Age: 12)  
Lv: 1  
Class: Demi-human (Sub-type: Raccoon)  
Equipment: Tattered Clothes  
Skills: None  
Magic: Projection (100% mastered), Structural Analysis (100% mastered), Reinforcement (23% mastered)

"Okay, now. Let's see…"

Shirou mumbled to himself as he looked through the Status Menu, not quite sure what to make of it.

After calming down from his (well deserved) freak out, he'd starting taking stock of his situation. He might be a kid, but he was also a Magus. He was a bit better prepared than most to deal with the supernatural and all around strange situations. Not much, but a little, and that was enough to get him to calm down within an hour instead of several hours. It wasn't long before he'd noticed the strange icon floating in his peripheral vision, and the moment he'd focused on it, it had opened up and filled his vision with this strange, game-like menu box.

Game-like was indeed the correct term. Besides displaying general information about him, it also displayed certain 'statistics' about him like: Health (HP), Attack (ATK), Defense (DEF), Speed (SPD), Agility (AGL), Stamina (STA), etc., together with certain values.

It was really like a game.

Considering the name and the information it displayed in an easy to digest manner, it was probably some kind of Magecraft that made information about the user visible to the naked eye. Probably only visible to himself, though, as none of the people locked up in the cages besides him had reacted when Shirou had unwittingly opened his Menu.

That, of course, raised the question how he could have spontaneously acquired such Magecraft. Especially considering his lack of talent. He'd been practicing Reinforcement for over two years and he had barely made any progress in those two years

Unfortunately, his musings around the information displayed, even the information confirming the fact that he had somehow changed species, took a backseat to the pop up that had appeared the second he had opened the Menu. A pop up that had confirmed his worst fear the moment he had noticed the intricate, purple mark emblazoned on his chest.

_**Caution!**_

_Emiya Shirou has been branded with a Slave Crest. Violation of the terms set by the owner will result in extreme pain. Please do not violate the terms._

Of course, there was no mention what those _terms _were. Or how and why he had been branded with a Slave Crest in the first place. Though, considering the situation, he could hazard a guess…

All around him, people, demi-humans, filled the cages that lined the room, and only demi-humans. All of them were either weak from a lack of food or illness to varying degrees. Ironically enough, he himself appeared the to be the most healthy. Considering this, the strange Magecraft he suddenly had access to, he could only come to the conclusion that he had been kidnapped and experimented on by a Magus. Kiritsugu had always said that most Magi were an immoral lot. That would explain the new Magecraft and the extra appendages. That still didn't answer where he was, though.

He'd tried asking the girl in the cage beside him in order to confirm his theory and ask if she knew where in the world they were, but… she had simply given him a strange look, opened her mouth and, to his ears, had spoken gibberish. His heart had sank when he realized that she, and no else in the room he'd later found out, spoke his language. Hell, he didn't even _recognize _the language the other slaves had been speaking. Not Japanese. Not English. Not French. Not German. Not Dutch. Not Spanish. Not Greek. The language they spoke was so odd and foreign to his ears that he had a fleeting thought that it must have come from another world…

…_Or maybe I'm the one that had been transported to another world?_

Before he could give the shocking idea much consideration, a man stepped into his field of vision. He was short, stout and fat man, wearing an expensive looking suit with long coattails. The man had a devilish grin on his face as he twirled his moustache and adjusted his monocle with the other like one of those cheesy villains from one of those old spy movies from Britain that Taiga had made him watch once.

Shirou instinctively knew that this was the man that applied the Slave Crest to him. In other words, this was his, and every other person's in this room… owner… his stomach churned.

"Oh, it's seems our surprise acquisition is awake. Yes," the man, the Slave Trader, said.

Shirou glared at him. Even before the Slave Trader had opened his mouth, he'd felt an instinctive burst of disgust for the man. Not that it mattered what the man said. Like the rest of the people in the room, he could not understand the foreign words of the Slave Trader.

"Hmm, it seems this one has some spunk. Yes," the Slave Trader's grin widened. "Good. You're going to need it. Hehe."

Shirou shivered at the Slave Trader's giggle. Again, he could not understand the words, but the man's gleeful expression was enough to clue him in on the fact that, whatever was going to happen to him next, he wasn't going to like it.

The Slave Trader snapped his gloved fingers. In response, two massive, muscle bound men wearing a blank mask appeared. "You, prepare the slave. You, gather the others and prepare the ritual. Before we can sell this product, we must first make it useable."

One of the masked men disappeared with the Slave Trader, while the other opened the cage and stepped inside. Shirou was about to start resisting whatever de man was going to do, but the moment he began to move, his Slave Crest acted up and stopped him with a sharp lance of pain.

"Argh!"

Shirou gasped, collapsing to his knees as the Slave Crest flickered with a vile purple light, his entire body locking up. This was what it felt like to be electrocuted, he'd imagine. The pain was so intense that he could scarcely breath, and it immediately put a stop to even the idea of trying to resist. Even the act of making a Circuit fell woefully short to this level of pain.

A rough hand seized him by the shoulder, digging into his flesh, and forced him on his feet in spite of the pain. He was unceremoniously frog-marched out of the room, through several doors and, once they had reached a small room somewhere in the back, was shoved to the ground in the center of the room.

Right in the middle of a massive and intricate Magic Circle carved into the floor.

Heart pounding, Shirou scrambled to get up and move out of the Magic Circle. From what little his father had taught him, he wouldn't want to be caught dead anywhere near a Magic Circle, but…

"Don't move," the masked man ordered, and, even if he didn't understand the words, the Slave Crest forced him to comply with another sharp burst of pain. He could do nothing but stand still in center of the Magic Circle, forced to wait and see what was going to happen.

"Now then. Yes," the Slave Trader reappeared, accompanied by another half a dozen masked men. He stepped in front of Shirou as his men began the circle the Magic Circle, surrounding Shirou on all sides in what was clearly the beginning stages of a ritual.

Shirou's heart was going so fast that it was beating a permanent tattoo against his chest and his tail was swishing behind him in unease. What were they going to do to him?

"Let's begin. Yes," the Slave Trader twirled his moustache as his men began to fill in the groves of the Magic Circle with some kind of vicious liquid. In a matter of moments, the Magic Circle had been prepared, and when the masked men began to chant, the Magic Circle lit up with bright light. In a few moments, the ritual would commence.

"I hope you won't hold this against me. Yes," the Slave Trader said with a vicious grin. "Ah, you should actually be thanking me…"

The light from the Magic Circle flared even brighter, blinding Shirou. He could see nothing but a bright light, and the only thing he heard was the Slave Trader's voice.

"…After all, what good is a slave when they can't understand their master's words?"

Pain!

Shirou heard a distant scream and numbly realized that it was his own. He could no longer hear the chanting of the masked men and he could barely hear his own screams past the vast, piercing lance that pierced his mind, that then twisted viciously and set his brain on fire.

This, this is what all those people back in the cages been subjected to? Being locked up and branded like animals, being denied food and care, only to be tortured at the behest of some vile Slave Trader? And for what purpose? There was nothing that could justify this torture.

Shirou didn't know how long he stood in the Magic Circle, completely immobile as his brain was force fed knowledge (language) in the most unbearable way possible, but the moment that it ended, he collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut. His body made an awful thumping noise as it met the bare stone of the floor. His tail twitched weakly.

"It seems he survived. Yes," the Slave Trader's words pierced his rapidly fading mind.

The only thing that kept him conscious to this point was a bone deep rage at the injustice, as well as a sense of resolve.

He would free all those slaves and he would _ruin _this man. Even if it was the last thing he did. Otherwise he could not call himself a Hero of Justice. He would set all those slaves free one day, every single one of them, and he would make sure the Slave Trader payed for his crimes. He swore it to himself moments before he blacked out and darkness took him.

* * *

Six days.

It had taken six days to recover from the ritual. He'd woken up a couple of hours later in his cage, mind ablaze with knowledge that his brain was still trying to assimilate. He'd also woken up to a killer headache and fever, the worst he had ever experienced. It was so bad that he hadn't even been able to go to sleep on the first day, the pain keeping him awake in spite of his exhaustion.

In other words, it had sucked. Hard.

Even through the pain, he had struggled to comprehend the language – High Melromarcian dialect, his brain had supplied – and practiced speaking it. Not so much to learn, but in an effort to ignore the pain. It hadn't really worked, but, on the plus side, he'd made a lot of progress on learning to speak the language. By the end of the fourth day, he'd been able to hold a halting conversation with the girl in the cage besides his, whose name he learned was Raphtalia. Soon, he was speaking fluently, something that was only possible thanks to the ritual and his constant practice.

He'd been rambling to Raphtalia the entire time, trying to get the girl who had clearly given up on life to smile a little. Escape, and rescuing the other slaves, was impossible until he had recovered, but at least he could try and keep the spirit's up of this unfortunate victim. Raphtalia hadn't really smiled, but she had responded to a few of his questions and a light had returned to her eyes, as if interacting with someone was enough to light a spark in her. It wasn't a lot, but it was something.

And now that he had recovered he could finally begin planning on a way to escape and save his fellow slaves.

Fate, however, had other ideas.

"Right this way, sir," the door leading into the room opened and the Slave Trader stepped through. "Here are some products in your price range. Yes."

A young man came in behind the Slave Trader. He looked about twenty years old, had a slim build, sharp features and spiky raven hair. He was also quite tall, towering over the squat Slave trader like a giant over a pygmy. The only item of note on his person was a small, silver shield with a bright green jewel set in the center that was fastened to his right arm. And his eyes… Shirou's heart sank a little… they were cold and angry, as if the entire world itself disgusted him.

* * *

Naofumi looked over the gathered slaves, the demi-humans, before him, all of them in varying states of health and emotional trauma that would have horrified him in the past, but not anymore. Ever since _that woman _had betrayed him and his mistreatment after he had been summoned to this world, he found it difficult to feel any emotion other than anger, spite and apathy.

It hadn't even been a week since he had arrived in this world and the subsequent maltreatment he'd received, but he was already at his wits end. Because of what _that woman_ had done, it was impossible for him to recruit new party members. Those that did offer to join his party were sleazebags that only sought to use him for their own ends. The moment they had what they wanted from him, they would discard him just like _that woman_ had done.

This was a problem. He wasn't like the other three summoned Heroes. As the Hero of The Shield, his Defense was unrivaled, but in return his Attack might as well be non-existent. Without a party member that could cover attacking, he'd never be able to kill the higher Level monsters he needed to kill in order to gain the necessary EXP to grow to a satisfactory Level. He'd been fighting monsters for close to a week now, and the only monsters he'd been able to farm EXP from were Balloons, the weakest monsters in this world he'd encountered so far. Though other monsters hadn't been able to harm him, he hadn't been able to harm them in turn either, making fighting them pointless.

If he couldn't hunt monsters, he couldn't get EXP. If he couldn't get EXP, he couldn't raise his Attack. If he couldn't raise his Attack, he couldn't hunt monsters. It was the worst sort of vicious cycle that had no end in sight, and it might just be the death of him. The next Wave of Calamity was set to happen in about three weeks, a Wave he would be forced to fight in, a role forced on him as one of the summoned Legendary Heroes. Even if this world could burn for all he cared, the Legendary Shield that was strapped to his arm and could not discard would force him to take part in the Wave against his wishes.

At his current rate of growth, that might as well be a death sentence.

He needed someone to cover attacking, so that he could grow and gain the Stats, the strength he would need to survive. If he couldn't get a willing party member… a slave would do nicely.

"These slaves… they can't betray me, can they?"

"Slaves are under a powerful curse, sir," the Slave Trader answered. "If they contradict or betray their master, they must pay a price for their disobedience. The price can be a certain level of pain, controlled by the master, of course, or, if you so desire, their very lives."

That sounded exactly like what Naofumi needed. Someone that wouldn't, couldn't, betray him even if they wanted to. Someone that couldn't use him and didn't have any funny ideas.

"These are the best slaves I can offer you today, sir."

The Slave Trader pointed towards a group of four cages sequestered away in a corner.

"What can you tell me about them?"

"From right to left: a rabbit-type demi-human with a genetic disorder, a male raccoon-type demi-human that may or may not have brain damage from a ritual we performed to teach him the local language, a female raccoon-type demi-human suffering from panic attacks and an unknown illness and a mixed breed Beastman, a lizard man."

"They all seem to have severe issues…"

"This is the best that I can offer in your price range," the Slave Trader shrugged. "Anything cheaper and you might as well be buying a corpse. Which I wouldn't really mind, but I suspect a half dead slave wouldn't do much good for your goals, sir."

Naofumi grunted, accepting the reasoning. "How much for each of them?"

"Again, from right to left, 25, 30, 30 and 40 pieces of silver."

"And their Levels?"

"5, 1, 1 and 8."

Naofumi mulled it over. If he wanted a strong fighter, the lizard man would be the best choice. If he was concerned about price, the rabbit-type with a genetic disorder would be the best option. Though, none of them looked particularly healthy or strong.

As he was thinking this, he caught the eyes of the two raccoon demi-humans in the center.

"… Why are the middle ones so cheap?"

"That's because raccoon-type demi-humans aren't particularly popular with human's, sir. Additionally, both of them have problems in the sense that one has a high probability of brain damage while the other has panic attacks in the night and is suffering from an illness. Both of them will be very difficult to take care of. If I tried to sell them for a higher price, my reputation as a businessman would suffer."

"And this is the best that you have in stock?"

"You really hit where it hurts, sir," the Slave Trader guffawed.

Naofumi stared long and hard at the four slaves in front of him, but unbidden his gaze began the focus more and more on the two raccoon demi-humans in the center.

The girl looked broken and scared, the boy defiant and angry. Naofumi realized how he felt as he looked at these destitute children.

The girl was a woman, the same gender as _the one_ that had betrayed him. If he took her as his slave, he could pretend he'd enslaved _the one_ that had betrayed him. The thought alone made him feel a bit better, and, if she died, he couldn't imagine he'd feel guilty.

The boy on the other hand would be better for his peace of mind. Ever since he'd been stabbed in the back, the thought of women in general disgusted him. He'd rather not have any women anywhere near him, even if they were his slave. Secondly, of all the slaves present, the boy was clearly the most healthy. He didn't see any obvious sign of brain damage either.

"Hmm, I see where your interests are, sir," the Slave Trader spoke up, breaking his chain of thought. "But you're doubting which is the better choice, aren't you, sir?"

"I am," Naofumi answered honestly.

"Hmm, in that case…" the Slave Trader grinned, twirling his moustache. "How about this. I'll sell both of them to you for the price of one. No extra charge."

"And why would you do that?" Naofumi asked, immediately suspicious.

"You don't trust me. I can see that as clear as day, sir, but believe me, there are no ulterior motives here. Well, no other ulterior motives than me wanting to maximize my profits," the Slave Trader's grin widened. "I can tell. You have all the traits, both positive and negative, of a great customer. I'm merely going out of my way to get a return costumer. Besides, even I'll have trouble selling these two anyways. This way I can at least clear out my stock a little."

Damn, this Slave Trader really was a diehard capitalist. He'd also read Naofumi perfectly. If there was any way for other people to gain his trust, it would be by showing him that they stood to profit more if Naofumi himself prospered instead of lying dead in a ditch somewhere. The Slave Trader had a vested interest in ensuring that he did well, so that Naofumi would come back later and buy even more slaves from him.

Besides that, though, he mulled over the benefits of having two party members instead of one. He wasn't exactly sure how EXP was distributed across party members in this world when a monster was killed, but with more people in his party, he'd be able to hunt more monsters faster, meaning that they could gather more EXP anyway and earn more Levels before the next Wave hit.

Also, it could kind of be considered an insurance policy. If one of them ended up dying before he gained enough Levels to stand on his own, he wouldn't be set all the way back to square one. The best choice was obvious.

"…All right then. I'll take them both."

* * *

**As mentioned in the summary, this story is an Alternative Universe (AU), but I will only be applying "relatively" minor changes to the base setting (besides the fact that Shirou is now along for the ride). I will be drawing on the Anime, Manga, Light- and Web-novel when writing this story, so if something is somewhat different than you remember, it's probably because I'm drawing from one of the other source materials. **

**Besides that, I'm going to introduce some fundamental rules of the Nasuverse to the Magic system of Rising of The Shield Hero. It won't be a straight up copy, but there will be some overlap. **


	2. Game On 1

**Sword and Shield**

**Book 1: Game On 1 **

With a click, a collar was fashioned around Shirou's and Raphtalia's neck. Shirou glared up at the Slave Trader, but the Slave Crest would not allow him to do anything else. The douchebag that had just bought them let a look of satisfaction cross his face when Raphtalia let out a yelp as the collar closed around her neck. Feeling satisfaction at a small girls distress… Shirou felt his gut churn.

The Slave Trader took hold of the chains fastened to the collars and led them out of the room, out of the building he just now realized was a some kind of circus tent. They emerged in a dark alleyway.

On some unspoken signal, a couple of the Slave Trader's lackeys, the muscle bound men in masks, appeared. One of them carried a large jar filled with what appeared to be ink. They filled a dish with the ink and handed it the man that had just bought him and Raphtalia.

"Hero-sama, please give us a little blood. Then the slave registration will be complete and they will be yours."

Shirou felt a wave of incredulousness wash over him. Did… did they just call this man that bought a pair of child slaves a _hero_? What the hell?!

The man, the so called hero, pressed a penknife into his thumb and dripped a few drops of blood into the dish of ink. One of the muscle bound men dipped a brush into the ink while one of the others removed Raphtalia's and Shirou's tattered upper clothes. Within a few moments, the Magecraft that would bind them to their buyer was painted unto their chests.

"Gahhhhh! AHHHHH!"

Raphtalia screamed as the updated pattern on her chest glowed. Shirou gritted his teeth in an effort not to do the same. He wouldn't give these slave using bastards the satisfaction.

Shirou had noticed that their buyer was looking off into space. If he too had access to a Status Menu like they did, he'd imagined the man was looking through the completion of the slave registration and probably also setting the terms of their contract. The Slave Trader had mentioned that the master of a slave contract could set to the terms of punishment for disobedience to their satisfaction.

"Now these slaves are yours, Hero-sama. Your payment please."

The man handed over the 30 pieces of silver to the Slave Trader, the payment for their lives.

"You've overpaid, sir."

"I know. That's for the ceremony. You would somehow wring more out of me if I didn't pay upfront."

"…You are very wise. And sharp, too. You'll make a great customer."

The Slave trader laughed. Their buyer, meanwhile, looked uncomfortable at the Slave Trader's mirth.

"I will look forward to your future visits."

"Sure," their buyer agreed before ordering them to follow him.

The moment the collars around their necks were removed, they could move of their own volition again. Shirou immediately grabbed the miserable looking Raphtalia's hand and squeezed it, trying to give her some comfort. Her expression remained unchanged, but at least she squeezed back.

"Now then. Let's hear your names."

Raphtalia looked away while Shirou glared venomously at their buyers back. Said buyer merely sighed at their disobedience.

"That's not very smart, you know?"

Their Slave Crests activated, flickering with purple light. Raphtalia moaned at the pain and grabbed at her chest as Shirou did the same.

"Come on, tell me your names. I'd rather not continue calling you Slave A and B."

"Raph- Raphtalia." Cough. Cough.

"Shirou."

Their buyer raised an eyebrow at his name, but didn't question it any further.

"Raphtalia and Shirou it is, then. I'm Iwatani Naofumi,"

Their buyer, the now named Naofumi, introduced himself. He then led them out of the dark alleyway and into a bright street.

Back in the alleyway, one of the Slave Trader's lackeys was gathering the items used to bind Shirou and Raphtalia to Naofumi. With a blink, the man noticed that the jar of ink had disappeared. The man shrugged as he figured one of his colleagues had already cleaned it up.

* * *

Shirou looked around in open wonder as they walked down the street of what appeared to be a picturesque medieval town, still holding Raphtalia's hand. The street was cobblestone, the surrounding buildings were made out of wood and stone and stalls filled with a variety of food and other merchandise lined the road. People in clothes made out of basic cloth wandered up and down the street as carriages were pulled by horses and strange ostrich like birds he'd never seen before.

_Huh, I've really ended up in another world, haven't I? One that functions like a game. _

Of course, Shirou was acutely aware that, though this world had some definite game-like traits, it was not a game. What kind of game had you locked into a cage and sold off into slavery in the opening act without an obvious way out?

Moreover…

Why was everyone glaring daggers at Naofumi and steering clear of him like he had the bubonic plague? Slavery was obviously legal in this place, so it couldn't be because of the fact that he had just bought child slaves. Then again, Shirou could easily imagine this man being some heinous criminal even by the standards of a medieval society.

He didn't get long to ponder it. Naofumi led them straight to a weapon shop. With a thump, the door slammed shut behind them.

The walls and stands were filled to the brim with all kinds of weapons and armor. A tall, bald man with tanned skin, a beard and a goatee leaned over the counter and frowned at them.

"Shield boy, I hope those kids aren't what I think they are?"

"Give me two weapons that these kids can use. Keep it under 6 pieces of silver."

Naofumi ordered flatly. Shirou grimaced to himself as Raphtalia whimpered a little. They had really been bought by a grade A bastard, hadn't they? And now Shirou had a pretty good idea what the man wanted them for. He couldn't imagine this man getting willing party members easily.

The Shop owner, the Old Man, let out an explosive breath.

"You've gone rotten, haven't you? Fine, whatever you want. 6 pieces of silver, right?"

"Yes. Do you also have some extra clothes and capes back there?"

"Sure. I'll see what I can scrounge up for you. I'll even throw in a discount as a favor to you and your… kids."

The Old Man laid out some knives on the counter. From left to right there was a bronze, steel and iron knife. Apparently, they became progressively more expensive.

Naofumi had them hold every knife at least once, checking to see if their lengths were right for them, until he picked two that seemed to fit them best. Shirou's hand gripped the knife tightly in a white knuckled grip while Raphtalia was as white as a sheet, her eyes darted between the knife in her hands and their master.

Shirou and Raphtalia changed into the clothes and capes that the Old man provided as Naofumi paid for the knives. Raphtalia was coughing the whole time, concerning Shirou. He really thought that she should go to a doctor, or the local equivalent, but he really doubted Naofumi would take her any time soon.

Once they were done changing and appeared from the changing room, they found Naofumi waiting for them, sitting on a chair facing them.

"Okay, Raphtalia, Shirou. You now have weapons. I expect you to use them to fight monsters. Do you understand?" Raphtalia and Shirou nodded obediently. "Good, but first…"

Shirou felt a twinge of nerves as Naofumi turned towards him, his gaze sharp like a hawk.

"You've been hiding something."

The twinge of nerves became a roaring flame. He tried to not show it on his face. "I-I, uh," Shirou stuttered. "I don't know what you are talking about, Master." The words were barely out of his mouth before the Slave Crest punished him, flickering with purple light and giving him a painful shock.

"Liar," Naofumi flatly declared the truth.

Shirou had been afraid that this would happen. The Slave Crest could tell when he told a lie and would punish him accordingly when he did so. He'd hoped it wouldn't have such a feature, but it clearly did.

"You have been hiding something behind your back the moment we parted from the Slave Trader," Naofumi said. Ever since he had been betrayed, he'd become paranoid. His eyes were constantly darting around looking for enemies and traps around every corner. It was because of this that he had noticed. The only reason he had remained silent till now was because he didn't want to make a scene out on the street. "Just now, you stashed it in the changing room. Why don't you go get it and show me?"

Shirou grimaced, but complied. If he didn't listen the Slave Crest would punish him until he did as told. He'd rather avoid the pain and being stubborn wouldn't gain him anything. He did as told, entered the changing room and returned holding the jar of ink used to bind Raphtalia and Shirou to Naofumi.

Naofumi raised an eyebrow at him and took the jar of ink. "Why did you take this?"

"…I thought I might be able to use it to break the Slave Crest somehow."

Naofumi immediately frowned, but sighed and didn't appear to be angry and he wasn't. If their positions was reversed he would have done the same. That said he couldn't let behavior like this slide. Better be strict and stamp out such ideas before the kid became more creative.

"This time I'll let it slide, but the next time I'll punish you in a most hellish way. Am I clear?" Naofumi's voice was stern and as hard as diamond. Shirou nodded meekly.

With that done, Naofumi's eyes turned towards the jar of ink. Slowly, his eyes darted between the jar of ink and the Legendary Shield strapped to his arm. Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. Naofumi poured the ink onto his shield and watched as it was absorbed into the green jewel.

**Requirement met: [Slave User's Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Slave Growth Up (small)**

**[Slave Stat Growth Up (small) – Provides small bonus to stat gain with each level up (unmasterd)]**

Naofumi's eyes widened so much they nearly fell out of his skull. This was huge! Even if the bonus stat gain was relatively small, it would build up and make a big difference over time. And now that he'd unlocked this Shield before he'd started Leveling Up with his slaves because of a lucky happenstance, they could still get the full benefit from it.

"What was that?"

The question broke him from his train of thought. Naofumi looked up, seeing his two slaves giving the Legendary Shield peculiar looks, their ears twitching and their tails swishing behind them. He briefly contemplated just ignoring the question all together, but eventually he decided there was no harm in telling them.

"I'm the Shield Hero," Naofumi said, as if that answered all their questions. Raphtalia gasped in shock while Shirou just looked confused. "This Legendary Shield has the power to unlock new forms and abilities if I let it absorb monster materials and other objects. And when I equip a new shield like this…" The Legendary Shield suddenly changed shape from a basic iron shield into a much more dark and ominous shield, the Slave User's Shield. It honestly looked rather twisted. "…I can "master" it and gain stat boosts and new abilities, meaning that I can use them whenever."

They nodded their understanding, Raphtalia looking if she didn't quite believe that she had been bought by the Shield Hero. Shirou, not being aware of the legend of the Four Saint Heroes, just looked nonplussed, though he didn't voice his confusion.

"Anyway, that's not important right now. First…" Naofumi drew aside his cloak, revealing over half a dozen Balloons, orange balloon like creatures with sharp eyes and fanged maws, chewing impotently on his limbs and sides. Ignoring the wide eyed looks of his slaves, he tore one of the Balloons off and held it out towards them. "Stab this, and pop it."

"Heee?!" Cough. Cough.

Raphtalia let out a shriek of surprise followed by a series of coughs, taken aback. Seeing that she had almost dropped her knife in her shock, Shirou stepped forward, silently declaring the he'd go first. This would give Raphtalia a moment to gather her wits again.

Shirou gripped his knife tightly, braced himself and placed his other hand against the pommel for more thrusting power. Then he stabbed forcefully.

The Balloon popped loudly, just like its namesake.

**EXP 1  
Naofumi EXP 1  
Raphtalia EXP 1**

The words briefly drifted into his field of vision then quickly disappeared again. God, this world really functioned like a game, didn't it?

"Good," Naofumi nodded, then tore off another Balloon and held it out towards Raphtalia. "Now you."

Raphtalia bit her lip, but obediently raised her knife. Shirou's quick, resolute actions had given her the courage to do as told. She gripped her knife, hesitated for a brief moment, then stabbed the balloon in the back. The popping sound echoed in her ears.

**EXP 1  
Naofumi EXP 1  
Shirou EXP 1 **

"Nice one," Naofumi said, rubbing their heads one after the other. Both slaves blinked, ears twitching and tails swishing behind them.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

In short order, Shirou and Raphtalia popped all the Balloons that Naofumi had been carrying with him, all of them earning a bit of EXP.

Naofumi gathered the shredded remains of the Balloons, planning to sell them later. Raphtalia and Shirou sheathed their weapons and were about to follow Naofumi out of the weapon shop.

"Hey," the Old Man called out to Naofumi.

"Yes?"

"You better make sure those kids come back in one piece, or else I make sure you'll suffer."

Naofumi gave a contemptuous snort. As if he wasn't suffering already. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied sarcastically.

As they left the shop, Raphtalia grasped Shirou's hand, squeezing it for support. Both slaves and newly minted party members of the Shield Hero followed after their master.

* * *

"Uhm, Master-sama?" Cough. Cough.

"Yes?"

"What is this?"

"A Kid's Meal. You wanted it, didn't you?"

Raphtalia stared uncomprehendingly at the dish placed in front of her on the table of the restaurant her master, the Shield Hero, had taken them. Shirou was sitting beside her, an identical Kid's Meal in front of him, equally confused.

"N-no… it's just… Why are you feeding us?"

"You guys appeared hungry, and I saw you staring at this dish when we walked in. So I thought you wanted it. Was I wrong?"

"But…"

Naofumi shook his head. Both of these kids were rather stubborn, he'd noticed.

"Anyway, eat up. You'll need the strength for later when we are hunting monsters. If you walk around all skinny like that, you'll just die on me."

Raphtalia was staring down at her meal, still not believing how _nice _her master was being. Most people wouldn't really think of Naofumi's actions as kind but compared to the people that had bought her in the past, he was acting like a Saint.

She wanted to reach out and eat the first real meal she'd had in months, but she was afraid that the moment that she did, that her master would reveal it had all been a cruel trick and that he would throw the food on the floor just to spite her. As she was thinking this, a hand gripped hers underneath the table. She turned to look at Shirou, who had already eaten a piece of sausage, smiling.

"Eat. You are hungry, aren't you?"

Raphtalia turned towards Naofumi, who nodded towards her Kid's Meal. She hesitated a moment longer before attacking her meal with her bare hands. Well, you couldn't really expect table manners from a slave, though Shirou was using his knife and fork as intended.

"How is it?"

"It's great!"

Naofumi raised a brow at her enthusiastic response, as if he doubted her words, but shook his head and continued eating his own meal without saying a word.

* * *

Naofumi led his slaves out of Castle Town after selling the remains of the Balloons, earning another piece of silver. Raphtalia appeared to be in a good mood after their dinner, humming a song under her breath as she walked hand in hand with Shirou behind him. He'd noticed that holding hands for them was becoming a habit, but he didn't stop them as it wouldn't do any harm.

The moment they stepped out on the fields, though, Raphtalia's good mood vanished like snow before the sun. Terror was plain to see on her face, though it lessened a bit when Shirou squeezed her hand and whispered something in her ear he couldn't hear.

If Shirou could keep her calm, then that was all the better.

"Okay, just like we did in the shop. I'll defend you guys from the monsters and hold them down, then you attack and kill them."

Shirou and Raphtalia nodded and unsheathed their knives.

Naofumi looked out over the field and spotted the now familiar groups of Orange Balloons, but today the fields looked a little different. Today there also were large groups of White, Blue, Orange, Green, Black and basically all the possible colors of Balloons scattered over the field. He'd raised an eyebrow, but inwardly shrugged. More materials for the shield to absorb, he supposed.

Naofumi got the attention of a nearby cluster of about a dozen angry Red Balloons. Soon enough, all of them were trying to bite his limbs off and making about as much headway as a dull stiletto knife would make through solid steel. The distracted and pinned down monsters were then easy pickings for Shirou and Raphtalia.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

By the end of the fight, both Shirou and Raphtalia had become Level 2 and Naofumi Level 5.

**Requirement met: [Red Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (unmastered)]**

Naofumi fed some of the shreds of the Red Balloons to his shield, unlocking another shield, gathering the remaining pieces to sell later. Some small pieces remained laying on the ground.

"…Why aren't you taking everything?" Shirou asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"These pieces are too small to sell," Naofumi answered. "The merchants won't buy them."

"So those pieces are useless?"

"Yes," Naofumi nodded, then paused. Unlike all the other Legendary Heroes, who had foreknowledge on this world because of the games they had played, he had come to this world wholly ignorant of its mechanics and structure beyond the standard rules of RPG-style videogames. It was probably best not to make any assumptions considering how he knew virtually nothing about this world.

Naofumi picked up the discarded pieces and tried feeding them to his Shield. To his surprise, the Shield continued to absorb the pieces of Red Balloon skin even though the corresponding shield had just now been unlocked. And when he'd finished the feeding all the leftovers to the shield…

**Requirement met: [Red Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

For the second time that day, Naofumi was left in wide eyed shock. So… if he continued feeding more of the same materials to the shield, he'd not only unlock new shields, but also master them in short order without having to equip them for an extended period of time first, making it that much easier to earn Skills and pile up on the Stat boosts the random shields provided.

Maybe, just maybe, his luck might finally be looking up.

"Okay, new plan. After a battle, gather _all_ the materials. Leave nothing behind."

Shirou and Raphtalia nodded, both looking nonplussed at his sudden one eighty, but not questioning his orders.

And like that, out in the fields just outside Castle Town, the Shield Hero's party targeted one cluster of Balloons after the other, steadily earning more and more EXP as they went. They entered the forest at the edge of the plains as they went, encountering new mushroom-like monsters called Loomush. Just like the Balloons, there were several color variations of this monster as well.

Levels were raised, materials were farmed, shields were unlocked and then subsequently mastered in short order.

Just as Naofumi had thought, he'd be much more efficient with a party member.

* * *

**Requirement met: [White Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Yellow Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Green Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Blue Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Purple Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Black Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Silver Small Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Plant Appraisal +1 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Red Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Plant Appraisal +1 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Blue Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Simple Recipe 1 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Yellow Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Simple Recipe 1 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Green Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Apprenticeship Compounding (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Black Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Apprenticeship Compounding +1 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [White Mush Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Apprenticeship Compounding +1 (mastered)]**

**Etc.**

**[Status Magic Main Menu]  
**Iwatani Naofumi (Age: 20)  
Lv: 8  
Class: Shield Hero  
Equipment: Legendary Shield, Standard Clothes and Cape

**[Status Magic Main Menu]  
**Raphtalia (Age: 10)  
Lv: 5  
Class: Demi-human (Sub-type: Raccoon)  
Equipment: Standard Clothes and Cape  
**  
[Status Magic Main Menu]  
**Shirou (Age: 12)  
Lv: 5  
Class: Demi-human (Sub-type: Raccoon)  
Equipment: Standard Clothes and Cape

After a long day of grinding, Naofumi looked over their progress in his Status Menu. Unfortunately, though his Defense had skyrocketed even more, none of the shields offered any Stat boost to his Attack or any of his other Stats. Leveling _had_ raised al of his other Stats except for Attack. Oh well, the sudden upsurge of efficiency to his farming had left him with the best mood he'd had since his betrayal. He wasn't happy, but neither was he about to complain.

Closing his Menu, he looked at the two knapsacks his slaves were carrying. One of them held all the Balloon skins they'd collected, the other the herbs and plants he had taken pains to forage in between battles. Those materials would earn them several pieces of silver at least, the biggest haul he'd ever had since coming to this world.

"It's too late to go back to Castle Town," Naofumi said, looking up at the rapidly darkening orange sky. "Clean yourself. In the meantime, I will try and catch some fish and make some dinner."

Raphtalia and Shirou dutifully followed Naofumi's instructions. He turned away.

"…Good work today."

Both slaves blinked at the compliment and their tails twitched. Raphtalia smiled a little. Shirou looked at Naofumi's back, less and less sure what to think of the constantly sour man.

They quickly stripped and jumped into a nearby river. Meanwhile, Naofumi waded into the river to try and catch fish with his bare hands. Thanks to a shield that he had unlocked in the previous week that added +1 to his fishing Skill, the task was relatively easy and he caught more than enough fish for a decent dinner. By the time he returned with his catch both his slaves were already sat by a fire he had prepared in advance, warming themselves.

Naofumi skewered the fish on several sticks they had collected and set them to roast by the fire. That done, he grabbed the knapsack filled with herbs, opened it and took out several herbs. Today's rewards weren't just Leveling Up and Stat boosts, but also, the ability to make simple Medicines from the Lomuush series of Shields. Recipes were included with the mastered shields.

With the use of a few rocks instead of pestle and mortar, he was going to try and make a few of those Medicines. He'd always enjoyed delicate work like this, besides, if the Medicine sold for more than the herbs themselves, he'd make more money by making and selling the Medicine. Without monetary aid from the Crown like the other Heroes had, he had to earn as much money as possible on his own somehow. Besides, having Medicine on hand could never be a bad thing.

**[Healing Medicine Fabricated – Quality: Normal]**

The information appeared directly in front of his eyes. That… had actually been way easier than he'd expected. Despite its drawbacks, the Legendary Shield had its upsides too, it seemed.

He tried another recipe.

**[Basic Cold Medicine Fabricated – Quality: Normal]**

This was actually rather fun, now that he was starting to get the hang of it. It still wasn't enough to get him to smile, though. He hadn't been able to smile since he'd been stabbed in the back.

Cough! Cough! Raphtalia coughed loudly from a small ways away. Shirou, sitting beside her, rubbed his hand soothingly down her back.

The Slave Trader had mentioned she was sick. Must be some kind of cold. He wordlessly handed the Basic Cold Medicine to Raphtalia, who shot him a questioning look.

"Drink. It's bitter, but it will make you feel better."

He couldn't have her dying on him before she made back the money he had spent on her. It wouldn't be an outright disaster with Shirou here, but he'd rather not throw away a viable resource.

Raphtalia complied, gagging as she drunk the bitter Medicine. Shirou, meanwhile, had the strangest look on his face. What, did he have something on his face?

Shortly after the fish had finished roasting. All three of them ate several of them, but to Naofumi all food was bland and tasteless since coming to this world. At first he thought all the people were pulling a fast one on him, but even the food he himself made tasted just as bland.

"Go to sleep. I'll have first watch. Then Raphtalia. Then Shirou."

Doing as ordered Raphtalia laid down by the fire, though Naofumi noted she appeared rather hesitant to do so.

Shirou remained awake and looked tense, as if waiting for something. Naofumi gave him a look.

"What's wrong?"

"Uhm, Raphtalia has night terrors."

Naofumi blinked. Hadn't the Slave Trader mentioned something about that? Something about panic attacks in the night. He shrugged and went back to compounding Medicine…

Rolling his eyes at himself for not thinking of it sooner, Naofumi fed some of the Medicines he'd made to the Legendary Shield.

**Requirement met: [Small Medicine Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Medicine Efficacy Up (small) (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Small Poison Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Poison Resistance Up (unmastered)]**

Huh, the Small Poison Shield was rather self-explanatory, but what did Medicine Efficacy Up entail? If he had to guess it would mean the Medicines he made, or administered, would be more effective, but as mentioned that was only a guess.

Not wanting to waste precious Medicine mastering his latest two shields, he changed the Legendary Shield into the Small Medicine Shield. Simply by having them equipped through the night he would've both Shields mastered before returning to Castle Town in the morning.

He continued compounding, but ten minutes later…

"AHHHHH. NO! NO!"

Raphtalia starting shouting in her sleep. Naofumi's head snapped towards her so fast he thought he might have gotten whiplash.

"Mommy… Daddy… Please don't…"

Shirou was already comforting Raphtalia as she talked in her sleep, holding her close and telling her to calm down.

It didn't work, and her screaming attracted the attention of nearby monsters.

Several Balloons and Loomush of various colors appeared from the shrubbery. Shit! He hadn't thought that a panic attack during the night might attract monsters. Now that it had happened, it was blindingly obvious that this would occur, but he simply hadn't figured this could happen.

"Crap! Shirou, take care of the monsters! I'll protect Raphtalia and try and get her to calm down!"

"I'm on it!"

Shirou passed Raphtalia to Naofumi, then unsheathed his knife and dove towards the nearest cluster of monsters. Naofumi kept a wary eye on him, even as he held Raphtalia close to himself and ran his hand through her hair in an effort to calm her down to little avail. Neither of his slaves had fought without his formidable Defense keeping them save from harm before. If Shirou was injured now that Naofumi wasn't taking part in the battle…

It would be a great inconvenience to him of he lost one of his attackers.

But…

BANG! BANG! SQUELCH!

It seemed he was worrying over nothing.

Even without Naofumi protecting him, it seemed that Shirou had excellent situational awareness. Even in the dead of night none of the monsters managed to flank or escape his notice. Both a Red and Orange Balloon were punctured in sequence with two clean stabs as they tried to lunge at Shirou, while a Blue Loomush was nearly decapitated with a quick and efficient slice. It became apparent that Shirou had been a high quality product without the Slave Trader knowing.

BANG! SQUELCH! BANG! BANG! SQUELCH! BANG! BANG!

Also, Shirou seemed to be a natural at wielding a knife.

BANG!

With one last stab, the last of the monsters, a Silver Balloon, popped, its last scream fading into the night. Shirou sighed and trudged back to Naofumi and Raphtalia - who had thankfully calmed down - clearly exhausted as he sheathed his knife.

"Good job," Naofumi said, still holding onto Raphtalia and running his hand through her hair.

Shirou stared at them and Naofumi realized it might better if he laid Raphtalia down, but as he moved to do so Raphtalia clung to him with an iron grip.

"No… Don't leave me… Master-sama…"

Raphtalia started acting up again the moment he moved to let go off her. He tried multiple times, but even in her sleep she wasn't having it. Naofumi sighed and laid down next her, a single arm around her as he shot a look at Shirou who strangely enough was smiling and seemed to instantly understand what Naofumi wanted to say without having to say a word.

"I'll keep watch," Shirou nodded, his evaluation of Naofumi having shifted without the man noticing.

A truly cruel man wouldn't bother protecting a child in distress, no matter if the man himself would or wouldn't be inconvenienced if said child were to come to any harm. Nor would they try and calm them down for the exact same reason, or protect them during battle, or make and give them Medicine of his own volition, but Naofumi had done all that and more. If it weren't for the fact that the man had bought child slaves to fight for him Shirou would have had no problem in referring to the man as a Hero.

There was clearly more to their master then what met the eye, and he clearly was not an out and out evil guy like Shirou had first assumed. All in all, Shirou was curious to find out more about Iwatani Naofumi.


	3. Game On 2

**Sword and Shield**

**Book 1: Game On 2**

"Time to wake up."

Raphtalia slowly woke up and yawned to herself, feeling refreshed for what felt like the first time in months. Ever since _that day _she'd had terrible nightmares in her sleep of when it all went to hell, after which she'd usually wake up screaming, something that happened multiple times in the night. This was the first time she'd had an uninterrupted night of rest in what felt like forever. And her bed… It felt warm, comfy, somehow made her feel safe and it was…breathing?

Her eyes flew open and she came face to face with the sleeping face of her master, the Shield Hero, Iwatani Naofumi. She froze, she couldn't help it. It was only natural. The Shield Hero was a legendary figure to almost all demi-humans, and here she was, sleeping in his arms.

This was the realm of fantasies for many demi-human maidens. The fact that she was his slave momentarily escaped her as a deep flush began working its way onto her face, and she squirmed in his arms, unsure of how she found herself in Naofumi's arms and what she should do now.

A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. "Hey, did you hear me?" Shirou's face drifted into view. "It's time to wake up."

Her fellow slave similarly woke up Naofumi, who went from asleep to full wakefulness in the blink of an eye. Raphtalia felt a wave of unexplainable disappointment wash over her as his arms unwound from her and the man got up, only offering her a nod and a head pat before he wandered off a little to the side to freshen himself up a bit.

Raphtalia got up and started cleaning up the remains of the campfire from last night, but she didn't get very far before her curiosity got the best of her. "Uhm," she turned to Shirou, who had just about finished gathering their loot from the day before.

"Yes?"

"Why was Master-sama holding me in my sleep?"

"… You had another one of your night terrors yesterday night. Your screaming attracted monsters," Raphtalia winced. "Master protected you while I took care of all the monsters. You'd calmed down by then, but you started acting up again and wouldn't let go of Master when he tried to put you down. In order to keep you calm, he slept beside you through the night."

"Yes, I did," Naofumi said, gaze directed not at Raphtalia, but at Shirou. "Through the entire night. Why didn't you wake us to change shifts?"

"Raphtalia has been having nightmares every night ever since I've known her. I couldn't wake either of you without waking her up, and I didn't want to interrupt Raphtalia's first night of full rest she's had for who knows how long. Besides, I'm used to functioning on very little sleep."

Naofumi sighed. "That's very nice of you, but what would have happened if you had fallen asleep? We would have had no one to stand guard. In a forest full of monsters, that's a disaster waiting to happen. And it will do no one of us any good if you make mistakes when we are out hunting monsters because you are tired. Next time, wake us. That's an order."

Shirou felt his Slave Crest twinge and he lowered his head in acceptance, both to the order and the logic. He wasn't pleased about it, though.

After that, they quickly cleaned up their campsite and started tracking back to Castle Town, Raphtalia and Shirou walking after Naofumi, hand in hand. Raphtalia mouthed "thank you" at Shirou, who simply nodded back and smiled a little bit. He might be tired and have been chastised, but that "thank you" and seeing Raphtalia doing better made it all worth it.

On the way back to Castle Town, they encountered another few clusters of Balloons. Sticking to the tactics they had used the day before, the monsters were quickly and efficiently killed without anyone of the party being injured. They picked up the extra loot and continued on their way.

They made it to Castle Town just as the town's gates were being opened. After selling the Balloon skins, they made one final stop by the Potions Shop to sell the herbs they had gathered and the Medicines Naofumi had made the night before. The Apothecary was an old and dour looking man, who frowned heavily as the Shield Hero stepped into his shop, but he didn't turn them away either. As Naofumi was about to sell the herbs and Medicine, he asked a question.

"What sells for more? The herbs or the Medicine itself?"

The Apothecary' frown deepened even more, but he answered honestly. "The Medicine. With the ancient prophecies proven true and the Waves threatening the world, Medicine and Healing magic grimoires are in high demand, driving the price up considerably."

Naofumi nodded. That made sense, he wasn't an expert on economic theory, but the rule of supply and demand was pretty straightforward and iron clad. He presented the Apothcary with the dozen or so Medicines he'd made yesterday night. "What would you be willing to pay for these?"

"Hmm, these are pretty good," the old Apothecary looked over the Medicine with an experienced eye. "Do you have a background in Medicine, per chance?"

Naofumi shook his head no. "Yesterday was the first time I tried making some."

"A natural, then?" the Apothecary said, looking surprised.

"I think not, nor do I intend to make it my main source of income, but I'd appreciate if you had some old used tools I could use. I made these with rocks, and I think the quality suffered for it."

The old Apothecary brow raised even higher, but agreed to give him the tools if Naofumi consented in considering the tools as part of the payment for the Medicine and herbs. He agreed, and they then left the Potions Shop with a pestle, mortar, a variety of other tools and another 42 pieces of silver.

They had breakfast at a restaurant and were about to head out for another foray into the forest, but first Naofumi had a surprise for his slaves.

"… Here."

Naofumi drew aside his cloak, revealing a round object that he then threw towards Raphtalia.

It was a ball.

Raphtalia caught it. She looked at it, then at Naofumi, then back at the ball. She was so surprised that she forgot how to talk. Shirou seemed equally surprised at the sudden gift.

"Huh?"

"I saw you looking at the other children playing with one of these, and I thought you wanted one. Consider it a gift to both of you for your hard work yesterday," Naofumi tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. "After today's work, you can play with it."

"Yay!"

Raphtalia cheered and gave the biggest smile he'd seen from her so far. Whatever, she and Shirou were just children. The better motivated they were to work hard the more money he would be able to make. Buying a ball for them to play with was a cheap price to pay for such a return.

As they headed towards the town's gates, Shirou took advantage of the much sharper hearing he now possessed because of his demi-human status to listen in on what the town's folk were saying to each other as their party walked down the street. He admittedly found himself curious about Naofumi and his situation and he at that moment had a very, very brief opportunity to find out a little bit of what was going on by listening in on the whispering and gossiping town's folk.

Naofumi wasn't able to hear what they were saying, but he and Raphtalia could, and what he heard…

_Monster. Devil of The Shield. Rapist._

…Confused him greatly.

Something wasn't adding up. Naofumi was not what you would call a nice guy, but neither was he evil. He was more a ruthless pragmatist than anything else. And what was that about the Devil of The Shield and being a rapist?

Naofumi was many things, but Shirou couldn't imagine him either as a devil nor a rapist.

What was going on?

* * *

The party left Castle Town, bypassed the fields completely and headed into the forest. Naofumi's Defense Stat had more than doubled the day before so he highly doubted any monster in any of the surrounding areas could hurt him. It was with that idea that they headed deeper into the forest, towards the mountains in the distance, gathering all useful herbs and such they encountered on the way.

It was then that they encountered a monster they'd never seen before, and made a curious discovery.

"What's that?"

The monster looked somewhat like a Balloon, only its outer layer was hard like an egg and it looked like one too. It was a soft cream color and it glared at them with sharp eyes, the monster known as a an Eggug not one bit pleased to see them.

Not deviating from their tactics the previous day, Naofumi was the first to rush in.

The Eggug noticed and bared its menacing fangs and clamped down on the arm Naofumi swung at it. Like expected, he didn't even feel an itch from the attack.

"Okay, it's your guys turn!"

Shirou was the first to act. He walked up and with a quick, solid strike of his knife killed the Eggug no problem. It fell to the ground in a pile of shattered shell and a glob of stinking yolk. Raphtalia made a face at the disgusting smell.

She'd become much expressive compared to when he'd first bought her.

Naofumi nodded towards Shirou before reaching down and feeding one of the shell pieces to his shield.

**Requirement met: [Egg Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Cooking +1 (unmastered)]**

Meanwhile, Shirou and Raphtalia had finished gathering the other shell pieces, but seemed at a loss with what to do with the yolk. They couldn't carry it with them, after all, but just leaving it seemed to be a waste.

"Leave it. That stuff is useless if we can't take it with us."

"… Aren't you going to let the shield absorb the yolk?" Raphtalia suggested, something she would've never done the day before.

Naofumi was about to tell her he'd already unlocked the shield corresponding to the Eggug, but paused. He was going off of game logic thinking that a single monster could only unlock a single shield, but it had been repeatedly pounded into his head since being summoned that, in spite of appearances, that this world wasn't a game. There was no rule as far as he knew that a single monster could only unlock a single shield.

He reached down, grimacing in disgust as he dug his hand into the runny yolk and picked up a large clump. Then he held it up to the shield.

**Requirement met: [Yolk Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 1 – Equip Bonus: Cooking +1 (unmastered)]**

"… It worked," Naofumi breathed, pleasantly surprised by another lucky discovery. He shook his head, refocusing. "Since it appears it's possible to unlock more than one shield from a single enemy, we'll be dismantling all the monsters from now on. I know it won't be very pleasant, but please bear with it."

"Yes, Master."

"Yes, Naofumi-sama!"

Naofumi didn't even notice that Raphtalia had started addressing him by name.

* * *

For the sake of completionism, Naofumi and his party doubled back. Luckily, only the various color variants of the Loomush had to be dismantled and absorbed by the shield piece by piece to get to full list of benefits, as Balloon's only left their skins behind when they were killed. The first time around, he had unlocked 7 shields from the Loomush Weapon Tree of shields, but with his new method of dismantling monsters they killed, that number had increased from 7 to 32. Only a few of those shields offered bonuses to his compounding Skill, most falling back on various Defense Stat boosts with a few Equip Bonuses for other Stats mixed in for variety. With the thoroughness characteristic of a gamer, they also had all the shields mastered before continuing on to the mountains.

They encountered dozens upon dozens of Eggug, again clearly separated in several color variants. None of them were particularly tough, and with their diligent work they had the entire Eggug Weapon Tree mastered in short order. Unfortunately, none of those shields offered any increase to his Attack Stat. On the plus side, his cooking Skill had broken through the stratosphere. Maybe, just maybe, he'd finally be able to taste something now?

The day had been productive, just like the previous one, but at the end, when the sun was going down again and they were about to head back to Castle Town, there was one minor hiccup.

"GRRR!"

"What's that?" Shirou looked up from cleaning the yolk from his knife from a freshly slain Black Eggug.

The bushes parted, and what looked like a rabbit stepped out. It was called an Usapil and, for a rabbit-like monster, it looked rather vicious with its massive front teeth and blood red irises.

Before there was any chance to do much else the bushes rustled and another two Usapils, identical to the first, came out to flank their fellow monster.

"Master!"

"I've already noticed. Get back a bit. I'll hold them down."

Naofumi boldly moved ahead, while Raphtalia seemed hesitant to approach. She'd built up some confidence the day before in fighting monsters, but something about these monsters made her seem uneasy and she remained where she was, not getting any closer.

The Usapils moved to attack the closest target, Naofumi, but their attack proved less than effective. In a few short moments, they were hanging off his limbs, unable to pierce his Defense.

Shirou, long since used to their standard battle tactic, picked the closest pinned down Usapil and drove his knife into its back. It squealed horribly and blood, real, actual blood sprayed out and painted his chest and face in a grisly display.

Shirou blinked, but didn't falter and twisted the knife as he forced it in deeper, killing the Usapil. Then, he quickly moved on and killed another of the Usapils, getting even more blood on him.

He was about to take care of the third Usapil, but Naofumi stopped him. "No," Naofumi shook his head and took a firm grip of the Usapil with both hands, holding it out in the direction of the last member of their party. "Raphtalia, you kill the last."

"N-no," she shakily took a step back, trembling and with her tail tense behind her.

"Raphtalia? What's wrong?"

Shirou took a step towards her, but a single look at his blood drenched form and what little color she had left in her face drained away. Honestly, she looked honest to god ill, and Shirou instantly realized what was wrong with her.

Up to this point, the monsters they had fought resembled inanimate objects, but an Usapil looked like a rabbit, an animal. A living being that will bleed and die if it's stabbed. Thinking of it like that, he'd be considered the weird one for not hesitating at all.

"Kill it. Do it now," Naofumi said, voice hard.

"But…"

"That's an order, Raphtalia."

The Slave Crest on the girl's chest lit up. She doubled over in pain, trying to resist.

A futile effort.

"W-wait! WAIT!" Shirou quickly interjected, raising his knife "I'll-"

"Do nothing," Naofumi cut him off. "Like it or not, we will be killing lots of living things in the future, creatures just like this. If she can't fight, I can't justify keeping her," he said, hiding his grimace at the thought. "I'll have to return her, and I think we'd all try to avoid that."

"You can't be serious!" Shirou blurted out. "She'll die, or worse, if you send her back!"

"Exactly. That's why she has to harden her heart."

Shirou was about to object, violently, but before he could, Raphtalia got back on her feet. She stood steady, her eyes teary but paradoxically focused. She let out a childish scream and rushed forward with her eyes closed, stabbing the Usapil multiple times in the chest. She pulled the knife out and the monster's blood sprayed across her face and chest.

She froze like a dear in the headlights as she nearly dropped her blood drenched knife. Shakily, she ran her hand down her front, coating it with the life giving liquid, forcibly taken.

"GRRR!" Another Usapil appeared, and bounded towards the shell shocked Raphtalia, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl.

"Raphtalia!"

Naofumi dropped the last slain monster and dashed in front of the girl, catching the Usapil before it could close the distance and sink its fangs into her. Instead, the Usapil sunk its fangs into his arm with all the force it could muster, ineffective though it was.

He wrapped his other arm around it, effectively pinning it.

Naofumi looked at the angry Shirou and trembling Raphtalia and let out a breath, all but ignoring the madly thrashing Usapil.

"In a few weeks, a great Wave of Calamity will wash over the world."

Raphtalia's eyes widened, horrible realization crashing over her. Shirou kept his face neutral, if still a bit angry, trying to not show how clueless he was about what was being discussed.

"That's why I'm out here fighting monsters and why I bought you two. As a summoned Hero, I've got no choice but to take part in the battle against the Wave in an attempt to meet it. But all I can do is defend. I need someone else to do the attacking for me and because no one wanted to join my party, I had no other choice but to buy a slave to fight for me."

Shirou thought back to the what he had heard back in Castle Town. The whispered words of ridicule and accusation. If people were talking about him like that, than true or not, it'd be no wonder why no one wanted to join his party.

"I know that it's my responsibility and that it's cruel to force this on you. On both of you," Naofumi's voice was heavy and tired, speaking of burdens unspoken. "But I need to get strong. I need to survive. Please… hate me… detest me all you want. I won't hold a grudge. But please… help me…"

Raphtalia stood straight, knife bared.

"Please, fight for me and don't make me let you go."

Raphtalia had stopped trembling. She lunged.

SQUELCH!

The stab was clean and straight as an arrow. It punctured clean through the Usapil, killing it instantly and releasing another spray of blood.

A second later, Raphtalia's knife dropped to the ground and the girl had tackle-hugged the surprised Naofumi. "Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia whined, burying her face into his stomach. "I'll fight for you. I'ill defeat all your enemies for you. So please, don't throw me away."

"So long as you do your part, I won't," Naofumi promised and patted her on the head.

Raphtalia nodded tearfully, then started when a hand landed on her shoulder. "_We_ will do our part, right, Raphtalia?" Shirou added. "With both of us working on attack, there's no way Master will get rid of us. I'll be with you every step of the way."

Raphtalia wiped away her tears and the blood on her face with the sleeves of her shirt. Her tail wagged ever so slowly behind her. "T-Thank you," she hiccupped.

"I think that's enough for today," Naofumi said, after giving his slaves a moment to compose themselves. "Gather the monster parts and the loot we'd gathered throughout the day. We'll go and clean ourselves in the river on the way back to Castle Town."

Neither Shirou nor Raphtalia noticed the smile that had been on Naofumi's face for the very briefest of moments.

* * *

**Requirement met: [Usapil Meat Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 6 – Equip Bonus: Cooking +2 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Usapil Hide Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 4 – Equip Bonus: Defense +3 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Usapil Fang Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 7 – Equip Bonus: Agility +6 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Usapil Claw Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Defense +2 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Usapil Bone Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 6 – Equip Bonus: Defense +5 (mastered)]**

* * *

Back in Castle Town, after selling their monster loot, Naofumi's party found themselves in a room in an Inn Naofumi had rented for the night. The sun was already going down the horizon, dyeing the world orange. Naofumi laid down the gathered herbs and the tools he'd bought from the old Apothecary on the table before turning towards his slaves. Raphtalia had already tucked away what little possessions they had and was holding the ball he had given her with shining eyes.

"I'm going to work on compounding more Medicine. You two can go out and play if you like, but stick close to the Inn. Don't get lost."

"Okay!" Raphtalia chirped and dragged a bemused looking Shirou out of the room. Both their tails were wagging in unison.

Before Naofumi could even properly get started he heard and saw Raphtalia and Shirou play a game that reminded him of football from the room's window. Raphtalia was delighted, kicking the ball around and laughing as it rolled and bounced across the pavement, while Shirou was more reserved, but still happy if the small smile he wore meant anything.

What a bunch of kids.

Naofumi shook his head and turned back to his compounding. He'd earned a few new recipes from his grinding and unlocking shields and he wanted to try them out. His compounding Skill had also increased by a not insubstantial amount. He wondered, how much having actual tools would help and how much he had improved.

First, he tried to make the same Medicines from last night.

**[Healing Medicine Fabricated – Quality: Excellent]**

**[Basic Cold Medicine Fabricated – Quality: Excellent] **

The quality had indeed increased. He wondered how much of that increase was because of the tools and how much was due to his increased Skill in compounding. It didn't matter he supposed. So long as the higher quality sold for more, that's all that mattered.

Then he had a crack at the new recipes.

**[Nourishing Beverage Fabricated – Quality: Normal]**

**[Energy Pill Fabricated – Quality: Normal]**

**[Healing Ointment Fabricated – Quality: Normal]**

Hmm, making these new Medicines hadn't been particularly difficult, but the quality of the products weren't as high as the more simple recipes. He'd probably need more practice or a higher Skill level in compounding to raise the quality.

But now the question was what would earn him more gold? The higher quality of simple Medicines or the lower quality, more complicated Medicines? Better make several of all the Medicines he could make and see how much each of them sold for. Why several? He would need to feed at least one each of the Medicines to the Legendary Shield of course.

**Requirement met: [Calorie Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Stamina +2 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Energy Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 2 – Equip Bonus: SP increase (small) (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Potential Energy Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Stamina Use Down (small) (unmastered)]**

These various Medicine shields had useful bonuses, but unfortunately no combat abilities. He had not expected any, but he had hoped for another windfall. No luck.

"What are two demi-humans doing on our turf!"

The yell made Naofumi start. He looked outside, and what he saw made his eyes narrow.

A group of six children were approaching Shirou and Raphtalia, clearly looking to pick a fight. All of them were around their age, if not two or three years older considering their height. They were just a bunch of brats picking on someone they perceived to be weaker than themselves.

Naofumis's expression darkened. He stood up, reaching for something underneath his cloak.

Back outside, Raphtalia was hugging her precious ball to her chest as she cowered behind Shirou. As she was a demi-human that had grown up in the human supremacist country of Melromarc, she knew that demi-humans were second-class citizens. Hence her inability to act.

Shirou didn't know anything of that. And even if he had, he would have spit on such ideas.

"Hey, look. That little twerp his holding something sweet. Hand it over!"

Raphtalia gasped at the demand, hugging the ball tighter. Shirou felt his lips curl down and he stepped forward. If they wanted to get to Raphtalia and to her ball, they'd first have to get through him.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but-"

"You think we're going to listen to the words of a stinking demi-human! Get him!"

Two of the older kids lunged at him, fists swinging wildly.

Much to their surprise, Shirou reacted like they were moving in slow motion. He dodged the two fists and sidestepped the follow up kick. Shirou than drove his fist into one kid's stomach. Said kid then dropped like a rock, desperately trying to draw in air and largely failing. The other kid had taken a step back, taken aback, but that was not enough to save him from the vicious backhand that send him sprawling.

"Wha-What the hell!"

This outcome was to be expected. Both Raphtalia and Shirou appeared to be ordinary demi-humans, but both of them had reached Level 7 this very day, making them much stronger than children had any right to be. Combine that with the Stat growth correction power of the Legendary Shield and well, even a Level 1 adult would do well to not steer up trouble with them.

Raphtalia could have kicked these kids around for fun if she had wanted to. Only her upbringing in the country of Melromarc caused her to not stand up for herself.

Shirou stepped back in front of Raphtalia, thinking he'd made his points. "We don't want any trouble. We were just having a little fun playing a game. Just take your friends and leave."

"Do you think we're just going to let this go after YOU dropped my friends like that! I WILL-"

"Leave."

"Huh?"

The apparent leader of the posse turned around and briefly had a full view of a darkly smiling Iwatani Naofumi. The next, his vision was obscured by something orange and round.

CHOMP!

"AHH! What the hell is a Balloon doing here!"

Naofumi was glad he had stocked up on Balloons on the way back to Castle Town. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to punish these little shits himself. He drew aside his cloak. Every eye in the surroundings widened at the half a dozen Balloons gnawing on his limbs.

"Run!" Raphtalia and Shirou warned them, already knowing what was about to happen.

Naofumi's dark grin widened and he started chucking the Balloons at the brats that had been trying to torment his slaves. Even the two collapsed on the ground found their second wind, stood up and ran away with their tails in between their legs, running after their frantically retreating posse. The six kids screamed their heads off at them.

"You'll regret this!"

Naofumi snorted contemptuously. He very much doubted it.

"You two all right?" he asked, looking carefully at Shirou and Raphtalia.

"Ye-Yeah," Raphtalia said. Shirou nodded in affirmation.

"Good," Naofumi nodded, already in the process of gathering the Balloons he had thrown.

"I… Uhm… Naofumi-sama?"

"Yes?" Naofumi turned to the bashful Raphtalia.

"Thank you for… always protecting me. You too, Shirou."

"No problem. That's my job."

Naofumi rubbed her head. Shirou grabbed her hand and gave a squeeze. Her blush deepened and she looked away, smiling. Her hair swayed in the wind as she did, and Naofumi noticed that her hair was rather long and unkempt, unbefitting for a girl. Shirou's hair was still alright as his hair was quite a bit shorter as a boy, but he really thought he'd need to give Raphtalia a haircut.

He did it that very night and Raphtalia was pleased with the new haircut as she giggled and danced about the room with her much more manageable hair. She had steadily become more expressive and happy since he had bought her, and this latest act seemed to make her joy reach a crescendo.

Naofumi's shield reacted when he went to dispose of the cut off hair, so he let the shield absorb it. Though, apparently, he hadn't yet reached the Level necessary to unlock the corresponding shield. He wondered what Shield he would get once he reached the Level requirement.


	4. Game On 3

**Sword and Shield**

**Game On 3**

The next day Naofumi's party headed back out into the forest after having a simple dinner at the Inn. One the way there, though…

Cough! Cough!

Raphtalia started coughing again. Hadn't her cold healed? Must be a pretty stubborn illness to be able to last through multiple rounds of Medicine. He handed her one of the higher quality Cold Medicines he had made the night before.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she downed the bitter concoction with a grimace.

"Don't worry about it," Naofumi said. He meant it. He'd need her to be healthy if he wanted to get the maximum amount of use out of her.

The next few days they developed a routine and stuck to it. They traveled all around Castle Town; in the fields, the forest, the mountains and even the large landlocked lake to the east. They killed monsters, butchering them to unlock evermore shields, adding towards Naofumi's overall Stats even if his Defense Stat got most of the benefits, gathering loot and farming EXP. All the while they gathered herbs that were then used by Naofumi to practice his compounding. They made a tidy sum selling all their loot, herbs and the Medicines Naofumi made, even if some of those Medicines went to Raphtalia to battle her illness and gradually cure her.

It was on the sixth day that it happened.

SNAP!

With the sound of crunching metal, the knife Shirou had been wielding broke in half. The day was only halfway done and they were about to head into another monster infested area, but the knife had clearly given up the ghost. Fighting now would be much more difficult, and Shirou didn't fancy fighting monsters with his bare hands.

"What happened?" Raphtalia asked, walking over.

"…I'm surprised the knife lasted as long as it did," Shirou admitted, remorseful for his blunder. "It wasn't like we were doing a particularly good job of cleaning these knives. And with all the monsters we've been battling, the knife breaking was bound to happen."

Naofumi shook his head at the explanation and looked at the knife in Raphtalia's hand. It didn't look much better than Shirou's knife. It would probably break in short order, too. Obviously the fault of the almost non-existent maintenance they had done on the knives and a lack of Blood Clean coating applied to the blades. Annoying. Without weapons, fighting monsters would be much more difficult, quite impossible really. They would have to head back and buy new weapons from the Old Man of the Weapon shop, but they'd lose time they could have spent earning more EXP, loot and shields.

There was nothing for it, though. They couldn't fight monsters without weapons.

Shirou had realized the same thing Naofumi did, and was similarly not happy about it, but there was nothing they co- a lightbulb went off in his head.

"What are you doing?" Naofumi asked in confusion as Shirou sat down in the grass.

"I'd like to try something. Can you give me five minutes?"

"…Sure. Just don't take too long."

Shirou nodded, closed his eyes and focused his attention inwards.

Just because he had been transported to another world by unknown means didn't mean that Shirou had stopped his practicing of Magecraft. He might have less time and energy to devote towards it, but he was the diligent sort that wouldn't stop unless the circumstances made it impossible.

His father had taught him only three Spells: Projection, Structural Analysis and Reinforcement. He had been stuck on trying to learn Reinforcement for over two years now, ever since his father's death. On the other hand, Projection and Structural Analysis had been easy, ridiculously so almost. He had been able to perform both Spells after only a few attempts. As if the Spells had been made for him.

Shirou couldn't use his Magecraft in active combat. He wasn't good enough to pull that off yet, but… he might be able to solve their current problem with its use now.

He called up the image in his head of the knife that just broke. The image of the short blade formed in his mind with a clarity that startled him. Usually, he would have to use Structural Analysis first on an object before trying to Project it, in order to gather as much information as possible on the object in question. That's because Projection is a Magecraft that materializes objects in accordance to the caster's imagination. The more complete the image in your head, the better you are able imagine it, the better the Projection and the longer it will lasts before eventually fading away.

Shirou hadn't used Structural Analysis on the knife, though. He hadn't even thought to do so before it broke on him. But, somehow, someway, he could easily call up a ton of information on the knife: the exact size, shape, weight and materials used in its making were all flawlessly recorded inside his mind, as easy to imagine as breathing. And just beyond his perception, beneath the image he had called up, he could feel an even deeper well of information, waiting to be touched. He reached out for that well of information, but the effort only gave him a headache. He kept trying, but-

"Hey, are you just going to sit there or are you going to do something or what?"

Shirou cracked an eye open and glared up at Naofumi, who was giving him a dubious look back. Shirou huffed to himself, closed his eye again, and got back to what he was attempting to do.

He would look into this later, but first he would attempt to Project a replacement for the knife he had just broken. First thing first. Creating a Circuit. He groaned underneath his breath as he began the arduous process. It hurt like hell, like a burning hot iron rod being inserted into his spine, but Shirou'd learned to ignore the pain after doing it a hundred times before.

It took about a minute, but he finished creating the Circuit. Then he raised both hands, took a firm grasp of all the information he could reach in his mind about the knife, used it to imagine as complete a picture as he possibly could… and then a Projected.

In a flash of light, a shiny new knife appeared in his hand. A phantasm though it was it looked identical to the knife he had been using till now. Raphtalia gasped and Naofumi's eyes almost popped out of his skull at the display.

"S-Shirou," Raphtalia stuttered. "You can do magic?"

"A little bit," Shirou confirmed , embarrassed by the wide eyed looks he was getting. "My dad taught me before he'd died. I was never much good at it, though, so I can't really use it for combat yet, but I can use it like this."

"Why didn't you do that before?" Naofumi asked confused. "It would have saved us the cost of buying these knives in the first place."

"Objects created this way are called phantasms. It's an image called up and then given form by the caster. It isn't real, it's just transformed magical energy, and will fade away with time. Even then, anything I create like this is inherently flawed. This knife might look like the original but its existence, for a lack of better word, is brittle. Put enough stress on it and it will break like glass," Shirou explained.

"Not really something you can rely on in combat much, or even daily life," Naofumi mused. It wasn't difficult to understand the limitations of such a Spell.

Shirou nodded as he Projected another knife. "Yeah, pretty much, but even if these knives won't last long, we can still use them to kill monsters. I'll probably have to Project several knifes throughout the day to replace the ones that break, but at least we won't have to go back early," he said, and handed the second knife he'd made to Raphtalia. She took it gratefully and sheathed her own beat up knife.

Good, Naofumi thought. They could still make full use out of the day, and he learned something about his slave he might be able to exploit in the future. A win-win as far as he was concerned.

"All right, then. Let's get back at it."

* * *

They continued hunting monsters throughout the day and gathering herbs, but contrary to Shirou's expectations he didn't need to Project a replacement for either knife throughout the day even once, which honestly baffled him. He knew that there were large gaps in his knowledge when it came to Magecraft, but he was well aware that the world's rules should have been resisting and trying to slowly break down the existence of the Projected knives. But that didn't seem to be happening at all; the knives were still every bit as whole when he had first Projected them.

That could be explained away by the rules in this world being different, but even considering that, the knives should have broken under the stress of constant combat. But they hadn't. Those knives were far closer to the real deal than anything else he had ever been able to Project, far more effective and sturdy than they had any right to be. The knives weren't as effective as the real deal with a noticeable decrease to their attack power, but it came far closer than it had any right to.

And if he could incorporate the rest of information in his brain that he could _feel _ was there, but was just a little bit out of his metaphorical reach…

He was going to have to experiment more with this.

As Shirou was considering this, absently toying with the handle of the knife sheathed in the sheath he had similarly Projected, he and the rest of their party headed towards the Weapon shop.

A bell chimed as they stepped inside.

"Oh, if it isn't the Shield Boy. I hope you and your kids have been doing well?"

The Old Man behind the counter greeted them, looking them over one by one. He was pleased to see that both Shirou and Raphtalia seemed to be fine, better even when they first stepped into his shop.

"Anyway, what brings you to my shop this fine day?"

"The knives you sold us are worn down. We're here to buy replacements," as always, Naofumi was to the point and matter of fact during business transactions.

"Really? They should have lasted longer than that…"

"That's our fault. We were using them like they had a Blood Clean coating applied without doing proper maintenance on them."

"Yeah, that would do it," the Old man nodded. "What do you need?"

"Another set of knives, please. Blood Clean coating would be appreciated. Keep it under 100 pieces of silver."

"Got it."

The Old Man walked around the shop and rummaged beneath the counter for a moment, scrounging up about a dozen knives in Naofumi's price range that met the customer's condition. All of them had Blood Clean coating applied and were of similar length, about as long as a grown man's forearm, with the biggest difference being the material used to make the blade.

Compared to the knives they had bought the first time, though, these knives had far higher attack power. Considering that Naofumi had considerably more money to spend this time around, that was to be expected.

Shirou looked at every knife for a short while before closing his eyes. Just like he had hoped, he could easily imagine every single one of them in his mind's eye and he had a ton of information to work with without consciously doing anything. There was clearly more to this and it was not some fluke.

Actually, now that he thought about it…

Trying not to attract attention to himself, he'd looked surreptitiously around the shop, making sure to focus on each and every weapon on display he could get his eyes on for at least a couple of seconds before moving on, even those weapons that were far out of their current price range. In spite of being a Magus, Shirou wasn't much of researcher, but even he knew the benefits of large sample size.

Meanwhile, Naofumi picked the knives that suited them best, payed, and was about to leave the shop when the Old man had a surprise for him.

"Here," the Old Man handed over a large, white rock.

"What's this?"

"A whetstone. Blood Clean coating only goes so far, I'm afraid to say. It's still recommended for most weapons to do some periodic maintenance. This way they'll last longer…"

As the Old Man talked the shield reacted, it's jewel glowing. Naofumi let it absorb the whetstone. The Old Man trailed off at the unexpected action.

**Requirement met: [Sharpening Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Sharpening +1 (unmastered)]**

**Special Ability: Automatic Sharpening (8 hours): consumption (large)**

**Special Ability: Special Abilities are abilities that are only useable when the corresponding shield is equipped. Unlike Equip Bonuses, Special Abilities cannot be mastered and used independently at a later time without having the necessary shield for use equipped. **

Interesting. Naofumi changed his shield into the Sharpening Shield. It looked like a large white stone with groves of varying sizes running the length of it.

"Do you have an old beat up weapon I might try this out on?"

"…Sure, if you explain how this all works. Hold on a moment."

The Old man disappeared into the back for a moment. He came back a minute later with an old, rusted sword. With some experimenting they figured out that the Sharpening Shield could take care of maintenance of any blade in the span of eight hours at the cost of SP. Not yet having any Skills that cost SP – which he guess stood for Skill Points – Naofumi had no problem with the cost.

"Hey, Old Man, now that I am here do you mind if I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

Naofumi pulled out a cheap map that he'd bought. It showed the surroundings of Castle Town, which included all the locations they had been before as well as a single small town beyond the forest. He had been avoiding that place like a plague, as it was _that woman_ that had first suggested going there, but…

Naofumi pointed towards the village displayed on the map, Riyute Village. "I was told that there's a dungeon in this village. Is that true?"

"That's correct, though I'll warn you to not step foot in a dungeon if you are not sufficiently prepared. The dungeon in Riyute Village is fairly small and basic, but dungeon's are places where monsters spawn endlessly. It's possible to completely clear out a dungeon, but the moment that you leave, it'll fill right back up. Monsters are also on the whole stronger than average in a dungeon. Not to mention the threat of getting lost or any myriad of traps that you could find in there."

"I figured that would be the case," Naofumi shook his head. "But it's the best place I know we can go and continue Leveling and collecting materials. I think we've just about exhausted the usefulness of Castle Town and its surroundings in that regard."

The Old Man shrugged, resting his elbows on the counter. "If you think so. Oh, and another piece of advice. The monsters on the road to and around Riyute Village are also stronger than what you would have encountered around these parts. Be careful."

Naofumi nodded. He would himself have preferred to continue on as they had been, but he had to do everything he could to get stronger. The Wave, the prophesized day, was only two weeks away. He had to Level Up, gather materials and unlock as many shields as possible before that day came. If that meant occurring some manageable risks now, so that he may have a better chance at survival later, then so be it.

"I'll be seeing you again soon, Old Man."

"Yeah. Yeah. Just don't die out there and drag those kids down with you, okay?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

With that idle piece of banter, Naofumi, Raphtalia and Shirou left the shop, headed towards the ever so distant Riyute Village.

* * *

The campfire crackled in the center of their camp for the night. They were camping out on the side of the road leading towards Riyute Village. Like the Old Man had said the monsters in this region were more powerful than those they'd encountered so far, but they still were not able to breach Naofumi's Defense, so taking care of these monsters was only marginally more difficult.

Raphtalia and Naofumi were on one side of the fire, sitting close by to keep themselves warm during the chilly night. Raphtalia was collapsed against Naofumi, fast asleep, the close presence of the Shield Hero keeping her calm and keeping her night terrors at bay.

Naofumi idly prodded at the flame with a stick, throwing logs onto the fire to keep it going.

Shirou, on the other side of the fire, stared into the crackling flame for a brief moment before getting back to his Magecraft studies. Sat down on a log, in front of him laid multiple basic knives and swords he had Projected. He was constantly practicing the Spell, trying to draw out more of the mass of information that he gained whenever he laid eyes on a bladed implement. They had been traveling for three days now and every night he'd practiced. Normally, traveling from Castle Town to Riyute Village would have only taken a couple of hours at most, but they were taking their time grinding the higher Level monsters in the area and collecting herbs for Naofumi to continue making evermore potions. All in the name of EXP and profit.

His progress was marginal, with him slowly even managing to draw out the process that went into forging the various weapons. But, compared to his non-existent progress he'd had before stumbling across this lucky discovery, that was more than enough to excite him and motivate him to keep going.

He was about to call it quits, though. In a little while they would change shifts and it would be his turn to sleep. As he was tired from fighting throughout the day, he wasn't about to object to that.

"Any progress?"

Shirou looked at Naofumi over the crackling flame, a small grin on his face. "A little bit. My Projections should be bit closer to the real thing now."

"Hmm. Good. Continue practicing whenever you have the chance," Naofumi encouraged.

"…You want me to improve?"

"Yes. Please don't misunderstand. The more capable you are, the more use I can get out of you."

Shirou's face scrunched up. He had long since noticed that Naofumi was a ruthless pragmatist that, if nothing else, believed in necessity. But this was the first time he was so blatantly obvious about it. Usually the man kept his thoughts to himself and aired them only when upset. Was Naofumi so tired that his filter had dropped for a moment? That he would admit to his slave that he only wished for his improvement so that he, the slave owner, would benefit?

"That's not why I study Magecraft," Shirou mumbled to himself.

"Then why do you?"

Shirou looked up, alarmed. He hadn't realized he had spoken out loud. Naofumi looked at him from across the flames, a note of interest in his eyes.

"Did your father teach it to you so that you could protect yourself?"

"U-Uh, no," Shirou stuttered. "It's actually the opposite. Magecraft is dangerous. A single misstep can mean death. I had to pester him almost day and night to get him to teach me…"

Naofumi leaned forwards. In spite of himself, he found himself interested in the story of his slave that was clearly so much more than what it appeared to be on the surface.

Shirou realized this and continued to explain, blushing. "And I really idolize Heroes. I want to be a real Hero, a Hero of Justice. That's why a study Magecraft. So that I can help people."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow at him, and Shirou waited patiently for the words of ridicule that always followed whenever he spoke about his dream. He knew that his dream was an unreasonable one, with unknown difficulties and prerequisites, but he really wanted to – no, he needed to be – a Hero of Justice, so he would not back down no matter how many people told him it was impossible.

But, contrary to his expectations…

"I see," was Naofumi's only response. It was such a simple response that it momentarily left Shirou baffled. "And how do you expect to achieve that?"

Shirou bit his lip. He wasn't sure he should be saying this, but if he lied or tried to avoid the question the Slave Crest would punish him. "I first want to start with saving the slaves back where you bought us and, at the very least, drive the Slave Trader out of business, if not see justice done outright."

"And then what?"

Again, the simplistic follow up question threw him off. "I think the logical next step would have to be doing something about slavery in this country in general…"

Naofumi shook his head. "You misunderstood my question. Let me rephrase it. What will you do with the slaves after you have freed them?"

Shirou opened his mouth, but no words came out. He'd not thought about what would happen with the slaves after he had set them free. He'd assumed everything would work out from there somehow, like in the stories about heroes he'd always enjoyed reading.

"Even if you free the slaves, the fact that they are slaves kind of implies they got no family or home to go back to," Naofumi casually poked holes in his logic. "Even if they have, how do you suppose to get them home? You would first have to find out where that is and then you have to feed all the slaves on the way there. That would bankrupt us long before we brought even a few of the slaves back home, and then they, and us, would starve. What will you do with the slaves that do, in fact, have no place to go back to? Just dump them at a convenient place and forget about them?"

Shirou's mouth opened and closed, desperately trying to form words as his brain went a million miles a minute, trying to think up solutions for the various issues. After several minutes of trying and failing to think of anything plausible he admitted, in a tiny voice, "I… don't know."

Naofumi didn't look surprised. He let out a small breath. "It's alright to be a Hero. It's even good to be idealistic to an extent, but if you don't have a plan to fall back on when you are helping people and simply throw yourself at a problem, chances are that you are making it worse. The slaves might be held captive in terrible conditions, but at least they have a roof over their heads and _some _food. If you simply did what you wanted to do, most of them wouldn't make it to the end of the week."

Before he had been betrayed, Naofumi would have likely entertained the same notions of saving the slaves like Shirou did now, but not anymore. Being stabbed in the back had made him more thoughtful if nothing else. Moreover, ignoring the fact that he wasn't particularly inclined to help the slaves of this country anymore…

How could he help them if he could barely even help himself? There were limits to what a single man could do, and he had reached his by keeping himself alive and strengthening his party.

Shirou looked at Naofumi for a moment, uncomprehending. No, that's wrong. It's not that he didn't understand, it's just that he didn't want to understand. The problem was that he couldn't deny the stone cold logic in Naofumi's words. No matter what he did, he couldn't help the slaves. He didn't have the abilities or the resources to help them in his current state. Like what Naofumi said, currently he would only make things worse.

Wanting desperately to help someone, but being unable to do anything… It hurt more than he'd cared to admit.

"I get it," Shirou muttered, defeated.

Naofumi sighed at Shirou's crestfallen expression. He'd engaged in conversation purely out of interest for his slave and his story, but now he had crushed his motivation. This was bad. An unmotivated slave wouldn't do him any good, even if the Slave Crest would force him to act as Naofumi ordered. It would be better for Naofumi if Shirou did his best of his own volition.

In service of that, some words of support couldn't hurt.

"That's not say that you should give up, though," Naofumi continued. "If you are currently unable to do anything you'll just have to improve yourself and your situation until you can. If you attain a higher Level and gather more resources, both monetary and manpower, who knows what options will open up to you…"

At those words, even if the man speaking them didn't truly believe what he was saying, Shirou rallied before Naofumi's eyes, nodding with determination. He had already figured for himself what Naofumi had just said, but the fact that he would have to leave those slaves in the hands of the Slave Trader so much longer then he had figured was a real dampener for his mood, but there was as much truth in Naofumi's words of support as there was in his words of caution. If he couldn't do anything right now, he'll just have to improve in various ways until a path opened up. It may be more difficult than he had first assumed, but he'd find a way. One way or the other.

"Thanks… Master."

"No problem. Now go to sleep. I'll wake Raphtalia and she will take over watch."

Shirou nodded and laid down by the fire. He knew that sleep would not come easy, the conversation with Naofumi having opened up new doubts about his ability to help people because of his own deficiencies, but paradoxically, he only felt more motivated as a result. After all, it's a common saying that necessity was the mother of invention. And if he couldn't help other people as he was now… than he would just have to get better, now didn't he?

He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

By midday next day they arrived at Riyute Village. It was a moderately sized village at the outskirts of the forest, with a few hundred people calling it home. There was a swamp area to the west and an mountain range to its north. The dungeon, a former and now abandoned mine, could be found at the base of the mountain range and the village itself...

"… Has seen better days," Naofumi muttered to himself.

All of the buildings on the outskirts of the village appeared to be damaged to some extent. People milled about in quick, hurried steps, as if desperate to finish their work and get back inside. There were no merchants around that he could see. Besides that, the villagers shied away from him and his party, looking at them wearily as they whispered lowly to each other. He scowled heavily. It seemed that his reputation as the Shield Hero proceeded him even here.

No matter. He had his methods to force them to treat him fairly. Giving a dark grin that scared away even more people, he led his party to the only Inn in town.

After they had rented a room for the coming night, they discussed what they were going to do for the rest of the day and the days after that.

Naofumi laid down his map on a table and pointed towards various locations. "According to the Innkeeper, there's a Potions shop in town. We'll first sell the Medicines I made during the trip over here and then we'll go grind monsters in the forest. We'll first exhaust all the surrounding areas for materials and EXP. First the forest, then the mountain range and then the swamp. After that we'll go and check out the dungeon. This way we'll be extra prepared for when we take a crack at the dungeon."

Shirou and Raphtalia offered no objections. After a short rest in their room, they headed towards the Potions shop in the center of town. It appeared to be just an ordinary home, probably the home of the Apothecary in question. Unfortunately, when they got there, the shop was closed down, the windows closed and the door shut.

"Huh. It's midday, isn't it? Shouldn't it be open?"

Annoyed, Naofumi continued to pound on the door to little effect. This continued for about a minute.

"Master, I don't think anyone's home," Shirou said. "It's probably better if we came back later."

Huffing to himself, Naofumi gave the door one last belligerent kick before giving up. The treatment he'd received the moment he'd stepped into town had annoyed him and it showed. He also didn't trust leaving his entire stockpile of potions in their room back at the Inn for any extended period of time, but taking all of that with them when they were grinding wasn't an option either. There was nothing for it, though. He would just have to take the chance and hope that he wouldn't be robbed, _again_.

"Fine," Naofumi grumbled underneath his breath as he turned towards his slaves. "We'll drop our stuff off back at the Inn and-"

The door behind him slammed open hard enough to make Naofumi jump and turn around with wide eyes, shield raised in defense. In the door stood a young man with messy brown hair and black eyes, dressed in a green Apothecary vest with and a satchel strapped to his side. The young man looked angry and, if Naofumi wasn't mistaking his expression, also worried and slightly desperate. What was going on in this guy's life?

"I hope there's a good reason why…" the young man began with a growl, before slowly trailing off, a shocked look on his face. "Adventurers?"

"…In a manner of speaking, yes," Naofumi said. Didn't this guy recognize him as the criminal Shield Hero like all the other villagers? Well, he sure wasn't going to enlighten the guy to his identity. More chance that he could get a fair deal that way without resorting to threats. "Why, is there something-"

The young man surged forward and grabbed Naofumi by the shoulders. "Please, I need your help! I'll do anything! Just help Alfyn and my sister and-"

Naofumi shoved the young man back roughly, knocking him on his ass hard enough that he rebounded from the ground and a yelp escaped his mouth. Naofumi didn't like it when strangers got close, much less actually touched him. "If you want me to listen to what you have to say, you better calm down, explain yourself in a coherent fashion and most important of all _don't_ touch me. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any offence!" the young man stuttered and got on his knees, bowing his head so low that it touched the dirt. Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "I've got a bit of a situation going on right now and time is running out and if something were to happen to Alfyn I'd-"

"I've noticed," Naofumi said, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

The young man swallowed his rapid fire words, took a deep breath and stood up, facing them. "Okay, let me start from the beginning. Get inside and I'll explain."

Naofumi searched the young man's face, not quite trusting this sudden situation, but the desperation on the young man's face made him relent. "This better be good," he muttered as he and his party stepped into the modest home. Only a few steps in he froze. Shirou and Raphtalia came to a stop only a step behind him, obviously having noticed the same thing he had.

In front of him, on a bed in a corner in an infirmary-like room, laid a young girl, about 8 years old if Naofumi were to hazard a guess. She was obviously ill, her cheeks tinted red, her forehead covered by a wet cloth and her entire thin frame trembling from a fever. All around her laid potions bottles and materials, having been used in an unsuccessful attempt to heal the ailing girl.

"My name is Zeph," the now named Zeph walked past them, kneeling besides the bedridden girl to stroke her hair. "This is my little sister, Nina. She's…"

Naofumi already had an idea where this was going.


	5. Game On 4

**Sword and Shield**

**Game On 4**

"It all started with the first Wave of Calamity over a month ago."

Naofumi and Shirou's eyes narrowed at the introduction while Raphtalia started, mind flashing back to that horrible day. Zeph was sat on the edge of the bed, continuing to stroke his ill sister's hair.

"No one's sure how many monsters came flooding into the countryside when it happened. Millions? Less? More? Who knows. All I know is that it took the army and the countries' adventurers weeks to hunt the majority of them down."

Naofumi let out a breath. "This has to do with the fact that you said 'majority', isn't it?"

"Correct," Zeph grimaced. "It's common knowledge that some of the stronger monsters spawned by the wave managed to survive to this day and have taken up residence in the more out of the way places in the country. That's why the dangers of adventuring has gone up recently. And it's because of one of these monsters that Nina is…"

Shirou looked at the ill girl, shivering in bed and seemingly in a deep trance. "She isn't sick," he said in realization. "She's been poisoned."

Zeph's hands clenched. "Yes, that's exactly it," he took a deep breath and tried to relax. "Nina became like this less than half a day ago. My buddy Alfyn asked around, and apparently Nina and one of her friends went out into the swamp to the west of the village, looking for flowers known as Waterblooms that only grow there," he chuckled bleakly. "She went to pick them for me. Waterblooms can be used in a great many potions and our stock was running low in recent days, but with the increased risk of going out in the wild, I hesitated to head into the swamp even with Alfyn backing me up. I should have known Nina wouldn't think twice about it…"

"And there, your sister came into contact with one of those monsters and was poisoned," Naofumi summarized.

"Yeah, the problem is that, whatever venom this monster uses, it's one I've never seen before. That's how I know that this is one of the monsters spawned by the wave. I've personally dealt with every kind of poison you can imagine… but this venom… She'll not last long at this rate…" Zeph looked ill as he said that.

Raphtalia looked at the sick girl in bed, at Nina, her face a mask of worry. "But there's something that we can try, right? Something you need our help for?"

"Yes," Zeph waved over to his workbench in the corner of the room, which was absolutely cluttered with an overabundance of potion ingredients and tools. A bright green potion simmered away above a burner. "That's an All Purpose Antidote. It's virtually guaranteed to work on all forms of poison and or venom. It's only drawback is that I need the original venom as a catalyst to finish it. It's the last thing I have left that I can try, but the antidote won't work without the original venom."

"And that's where we come in," Shirou said, clearly itching to go out and do as asked.

"Alfyn has already headed out to the swamp," Zeph fretted, biting down on his nail. "I wanted to hire some adventurers to go along with and protect him even if it bankrupted me, but there are barely any adventurers in town at the moment. Those few that are I just finished treating the other day…"

"Why didn't you go with him then?"

Zeph grimaced even as Raphtalia and Shirou shot Naofumi warning looks. "Someone has to take care of and supervise Nina's condition. If she suddenly takes a turn for the worse I have enough skill to keep her alive for a bit longer. I first wanted to go out into the swamp on my own, but Alfyn, the self-sacrificing bastard that he is, told me to stay by Nina's side and he went instead."

Naofumi nodded along, now having an accurate picture of what was going. "And," he began slowly. "What can you offer us in exchange for helping you?"

Shirou barely managed to keep his mouth shut. He was of the opinion that helping people was its own reward, but Naofumi most definitely didn't. The man was no philanthropist. If Shirou was to hazard a guess Naofumi would help if asked, but you have to offer something in exchange or he wouldn't move or even lift a finger to help. But asking for something in exchange while someone was so obviously desperate rankled something fundamental about Shirou. He kept those thoughts to himself, though. He didn't think his master would much appreciate him meddling in the middle of negotiations or heed his words in the first place.

"I don't have much gold, but…"

Naofumu raised a hand, stopping him. "How much of an accomplished Apothecary are you?" he asked instead of how much Zeph had, surprising everyone there.

Zeph blinked, nonplussed. "Uh, I'm capable of brewing all low-level and mid-level potions and medicines so long as I have a recipe. I'm still working on mastering many of the High-level Medicines, but I'm making progress. I and Alfyn practice almost every day."

Naofumi stared at him, hard, trying to see if he was lying, making Zeph nervous. "All right. Instead of rewarding us monetarily, in exchange for our help, I'll have you teach me whenever my party and I are in this village," he offered. A ripple of surprise flowed through the room. "Also, you'll give us favorable deals whenever I come over to sell my wares to you."

From the modest home Naofumi had seen, he'd already guessed that there would not be much in the way of monetary gain in helping this youth, at least not in a direct fashion, so he went for an indirect method for increasing his income. With more knowledge and knowhow in compounding he could make higher quality Medicines and hence make more money. Besides that, setting up the conditions for a lucrative business relationship in the future was the icing on the cake. "I presume that wouldn't be a problem?"

And in the eventuality the young man found out that he was the Shield Hero and would go back on his word even after they had saved his sister? Well, then Naofumi would feel no guilt in taking whatever the young man owned in recompense. After all, he was already a criminal in the eyes of everyone in the country. What harm would it do to add one more supposed 'crime' to the list? He'd be justified in doing it anyway. Either way, he would get payed. It was up to Zeph how, though.

"I-I, yes, that's no problem! None at all! That's a small price to pay for your help," Zeph eagerly shook Naofumi's hand, a light returning to his eyes.

"Then we will head out to the swamp immediately."

Naofumi didn't see the approving looks he was getting from his slaves behind his back. He would have vehemently denied doing as he had done for altruistic reasons like they thought.

* * *

After dropping off most of the potions they had wanted to sell at the Potions shop, Naofumi's party headed directly to the swamp west of Riyute Village. They did bring Health Potions and Antidotes with them though, as the swamp was home to many poisonous critters and Health Potions were an essential any adventurer, Holy Hero or not, would be a fool to go without.

"Do we have any idea what this monster that poisoned Nina looks like?" Raphtalia asked, resheathing her knife after having just killed a Warrior Wasp, a giant wasp with a six inch stinger. She swiped her hand across her forehead, grimacing as it came away with a thick layer of sweat. The swamp was both hot and humid, the ground soaked with still-standing water that smelled terrible. Vegetation, both dead and flourishing, surrounded them on all sides, thick enough to cut down the sunlight to a trickle and lower visibility to dangerous levels.

"From the bite marks on the girl that Zeph showed us, it's probably a snake, a massive one at that, so it probably isn't any of the small one's we've encountered so far," Naofumi grunted, annoyed as they headed deeper into the swamp without taking the time to butcher and allow the Legendary Shield to absorb the pieces of the Warrior Wasp. Time was of the essence and he could come back later to farm the swamp to his heart content, but it rankled his sensibilities to simply leave the dead monsters behind for other monsters to devour. They were still gaining a respectable amount of EXP, so it wasn't entirely a waste, but still…

He had no choice, though. The swamp was swarming with monsters. Warrior Wasps. Giant Slugs. Swamp Frogs. Salamanders. Several Viper variants. Black Bats, Shadow Bats and more. If they stopped to fight and harvest all the monsters they stumbled across, they would lose too much time and put the success of the mission at risk. Thankfully, though theses monsters were stronger than any they had encountered so far, they were still too weak to be a threat to Naofumi. It took his slaves a little extra effort to kill them, but the moment the Shield Hero had the monsters pinned down, it was as good as over.

And these girls had gone to this swamp of their own volition just to pick some flowers? They must be either stupid or fearless.

"For now, we need to find Zeph's friend, Alfyn. He's the only one with both the tools and knowhow necessary to safely extract the venom when we find the monsters responsible for poisoning Zeph's sister," Naofumi finished, ducking below a tree branch. His slaves dutifully followed behind him, at the ready to spring into combat again.

Even as he said that, Naofumi silently wondered how they were going to find this Alfyn in this mess of a swamp. You could barely see three feet in front of you in the thick vegetation of the swamp, and none of his party members, himself included, knew anything about tracking. They were just aimlessly wandering, heading deeper and deeper into swamp, hoping to stumble on Alfyn somehow.

There was nothing for it though but head forward and hope for a lucky break for once. A young girl's life hanged in the balance, and it annoyed Naofumi that this was the best they could do.

Luckily, for once, Naofumi's prayers were answered as his slaves' raccoon ears started to twitch at the sound of distant noise. "Do you hear that?" Shirou asked, eyes narrowing, tail tense behind him.

"Yeah," Raphtalia nodded, slowly unsheathing her knife. "It sounds like… battle?"

Heeding the words of his slaves Naofumi raised his shield and headed into the direction Raphtalia and Shirou indicated. As they crept closer, the sounds became more distinct, to the point that Naofumi also started to hear the sounds of battle in the swamp. They sped up, Naofumi leading the way, ready to meet any attack heading their way.

The broke into a small, waterlogged clearing. Naofumi took in the scene in an instant. A blond youth dressed in a green apothecary vest with a satchel slung around his shoulder stood in the clearing, panting and brandishing an axe in front of him. Around him were a total of four Swamp Frogs. These were squat creatures that were about half as tall as Shirou with bright blue skin and bulbous bodies. They stood on their hind legs and each of them brandished a single crude knife.

Their arrival did not go unnoticed. Both the young man, which they assumed to be Alfyn, and the frogs turned towards them. Naofumi sprinted directly towards the nearest Swamp Frog, Raphtalia and Shirou hot on his heels.

"Careful! Their daggers are covered in poison!"

The young man warned, having stopped moving for a brief moment in surprise at their sudden arrival, but the warning was unneeded. For one, Naofumi already knew. Secondly…

_Ding!_

A no damage indicator was heard loud and clear when the Swamp Frog stabbed at his legs. The Swamp Frogs didn't have anywhere near the Attack Stat necessary to harm him. Naofumi bend down and hoisted up the now wildly gibbering monster, who only had a second to appreciate the situation it was in, before Raphtalia stabbed it in the stomach and gutted it.

Shirou, meanwhile, reversed his grip on his knife and he threw it at the Swamp Frog nearest to the presumed to be Alfyn. His throwing technique needed work, but his accuracy was spot on, a benefit of his long hours of practice and natural talent at the Japanese art of archery, Kyudo. It pierced the Swamp Frog between the eyes, its weak Defense Stat not nearly enough to save it from even such a basic attack.

In a single moment, the entire situation had changed.

One of the surviving Swamp Frogs ran for it, disappearing into the underbrush, while the other rushed at them in reckless abandon. Unfortunately, that left itself wide open to the young man it and its fellows had been tormenting moments before. The axe split its head open before it could even make it halfway to Naofumi and his party.

Naofumi let out a breath, lowering his shield. He turned towards the young man they had just helped. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks to you guys, I wasn't even injured by those freaks!" the blond similarly lowered his axe and walked up to them, all smiles and cheer. Naofumi blinked. That was the happiest someone had ever greeted him in this world by far. "I'm Alfyn Greengrass by the way, and while I would love to stay and chat I've got some really pressing hubbub to take care off-"

"We know," Naofumi deadpanned. "You're here to look for the monster, probably a snake of some kind, that bit and poisoned your best friend Zeph's sister, Nina. You need its venom for the potion that will hopefully safe her life."

Alfyn almost miss stepped, stumbled, and gave them a perplexed look. Then his eyes widened. "Wait, did Zeph…"

"He hired us to help you. We came into town shortly after you set out."

"Perfect!" Alfyn suddenly clasped his hand, having already placed his axe on his back. Naofumi almost recoiled at how direct and honest the young man was being. "This will make this so much easier. I've been tracking the monster that I believe poisoned Nina for over two hours now, but these small fry keep getting in the way, slowing me down and giving it the chance to slip away. With you guys helping me, we should be able to catch up to it no problem."

"Yeah," Naofumu said, sounding uncomfortable and awkwardly shaking his hand free from Alfyn's. "Hopefully it will go as smoothly as you say. Anyway, which direction?"

Meanwhile, as he Naofumi questioned Alfyn, Shirou retrieved his knive, cleaned it off and placed it back in its sheath

Alfyn pointed towards what appeared to be a random direction in the swamp. "That way."

"How do you know?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm not an expert tracker by any means, but there are easy tell-tale signs monsters leave behind as they traverse through the wilds," Alfyn said, already going into the direction he had pointed. Having little other choice, Naofumi's party followed. "Markings in the grass, droppings, even scent. A monster as large as whatever this is leaves equally large signs behind it. If there is any advantage in hunting big prey, it's that."

"I see," Naofumi mused. "And how big are we talking here?"

"I dunno. Maybe about the size of a smallish Chimera? Somewhere around there at least."

Naofumi gulped, his slaves looking equally as weary as he did. In games, Chimeras were generally never small fry monsters. They were usually sub bosses or bosses outright with high Stats and a bevy of methods they could use to attack, both in the sense of attacks and status debufs. Even if this monster wasn't anywhere near as fearsome, if it was anywhere near as big as Alfyn thought it was, the monster's Attack Stat must be equally high, maybe even high enough to surpass his Defense Stat.

Would this be the first fight where he would be injured? There was only one way to find out.

* * *

They continued on deeper into the swamp. They avoided as many monster encounters as possible, but there was no avoiding all of them and they had to fight at least half a dozen battles as they tracked their prey. Luckily, with Alfyn's help, the fights were easily settled and wrapped up smoothly. Despite being an Apothecary, he wasn't half bad with his axe, and it showed when every monster that took a direct hit was either crippled or killed outright.

Naofumi watched as Alfyn casually flicked the blood of his axe, two halves of the Shadow Bat he had vivisected still writhing on the ground. "You're a lot stronger than I had figured. What Level are you?"

"26," Alfyn answered absently. Naofumi's, Shirou's and Raphtalia's eyes widened in unison. "Don't look so surprised. Do you really think I would dare to venture into places like these on my own if I didn't have the strength to protect myself?"

"From how Zeph described you as a 'self-sacrificing bastard', kind of, yeah," Naofumi answered drily.

Alfyn laughed. "Ah, yes, that does sound like him. He used to call me a runt when we were little, than a bookworm when we started to study compounding together. I think 'self-sacrificing bastard' is a step up from where I was, don't you think?" he said with surprisingly good cheer.

"…You're good friends, huh?" Raphtalia said, looking a little melancholy.

"Yep," Alfyn sounded like he was boasting when he said that. "We've been pals for as long as I can remember. We study, work and blow off steam together almost every day. He's basically my brother, even if we aren't related by blood."

"Sounds nice," Shirou commented. He'd never had such a close friend. He briefly wondered what it would be like.

"It is. I'm just grateful I have someone to fall back and rely on after both our parents died in the Great Pestilence."

"Great Pestilence?" Naofumi asked.

"Hmm? You don't know?" Alfyn responded, blinking. "The Great Pestilence was a plague that ravaged the countryside of Melromark and some neighboring countries some ten years back. Nasty piece of work that disease. Damn near a 100% mortality rate if you didn't get treatment real quick and some really specific kinds of potions that precious few Apothecaries can make. The only reason I'm alive right now is because Zeph's grandfather saved me in the nick of time. He had to come all the way back from Castle Town to treat the town's people, and even then the disease killed so quickly that both our parents had already died by then."

"Ah," Naofumi grimaced, an action mirrored by Shirou and Raphtalia. "Sorry for asking."

"Don't be. I've made my peace with it," Alfyn waved him off. "If anything, I look back at that time as a source of motivation. After Zeph's grandfather saved me without asking for anything in return, I just knew that I wanted to become Apothecary at least as good as him. I had never seen that grouchy old man smile as widely as he did when I recovered."

Shirou blinked. That sounded familiar…

They fell silent after that, the sounds of the swamp the only thing being heard as they continued to track their prey. Eventuality, after another half an hour, the swamp opened up before them.

"Eh, what is this place?"

The place they had stepped foot in was a large clearing, the only place in the swamp were the canopy didn't obstruct the light. The ground rose up, the water of the swamp not high enough to cover it, leaving it dry. Beautiful, almost see through blue flowers dotted the random meadow in the swamp. It honestly looked rather surreal. Like the picture in a children's story book.

"Are those waterblooms?"

"Got it in one," Alfyn confirmed, heading deeper into the clearing. They dutifully followed.

"Zeph mentioned they were useful in potions," Shirou commented.

"Yep. They are excellent quality enhancers. Add one of the leaves of a waterbloom to a potion and the potion is guaranteed to be raised at least a single rank higher than what it should have been."

"Really?" Naofumi glanced around at the waterblooms, suddenly interested. Perhaps he could take a few…

Actually, he reached down and picked one as Alfyn ran his hand along the grass, not paying Naofumi any attention. Then he fed the waterbloom to his shield.

**Requirement met: [Waterbloom Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 3 – Equip Bonus: Compounding +12 / Medicine Efficacy Up (High) (unmastered)]**

**Special Ability: Medicine Enhancer (4 hours): Consumption (small)**

W-Wow. Naofumi's eyes were wide. Once he mastered this shield, his Compounding Skill would come close to rising by a fourth. Add the Medicine Efficacy Up (High) on top of that, plus the Medicine Enhancer Special Ability… he'd just gotten a very handy shield. He would be mastering it as soon as he could when they got back into town.

"Guys," Alfyn said slowly, looking at something at the edge of the meadow. The tension in his voice made Naofumi immediately look up from his Status screen. "Get ready. Things are about to get dicey."

Naofumi was about to ask what he meant when he spotted what had Alfyn so on edge. A large shadow was moving in the water, silent as the grave as it slithered onto the grass in their direction. It came close, then reared up, and up.

And up.

**[Otherworld Blotted Viper Lv: 20]**

Naofumi swallowed thickly, taking a step back as his slaves stood behind him. The Blotted Viper was massive. Even with the majority of its body on the ground, it reared up high enough to tower two entire heads above Naofumi. It's skin was a poisonous looking amber, blotted with dark spots, glossy with hardened scales. It opened its mouth, large enough to swallow a man's head whole, revealing two six inch fangs, dripping with potent venom, and a forked tongue. It was so long that Naofumi couldn't even begin to guess how big it was and its entire body was lined with thick, powerful looking muscles. It hissed at them as it seized them up, apparently far from impressed.

"Well," Alfyn said, trying to affect aloofness, but the tightening around his eyes gave him away. "This is a bit more of a nasty beasty then I had figured."

Naofumi hissed at the massive understatement. He raised his shield, changing it into the one with the highest base Defense Stat. Keeping himself and his party alive was way more important than hiding his identity as the criminal Shield Hero. Alfyn's eyes widened at the display.

"Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia whimpered, staring up the gigantic viper, obviously scared. Shirou looked little better.

"Stay calm," Naofumi said, boldly moving forward and forcing his voice not to shake. He needed to keep his party members calm. If they panicked it was as good as over. "We'll do as we always do. I'll defend, and you'll attack in the openings I make. If we're careful and watch each other's backs, we'll all be going back in one piece. Get ready."

Alfyn stared at him for a long moment, keeping a single eye on the Blotted Viper, eying them like the apex predator it was. He slowly drew his axe and opened his satchel, retrieving a single glass bottle filled with bright blue powder. "Well said. I help and try and slow it down. I've got a few useful concoctions that ca-"

"_Hsssssssssssshhhaaa!_"

The enemy struck, lashing out like the viper it was.

_Fast! _Naofumi barley had the time to raise his shield and offered a quick prayer to whatever god was listening that his Defense Stat was up to the task.

The Blotted Viper's massive fangs kicked up sparks as they made contact with his shield, the force of the head on attack making Naofumi stumble back. The Blotted Viper, undeterred, moved its entire body, it's tail smashing into the Shield Hero's stomach and sending him sprawling.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia's terrified shriek made him look up, seeing the Blotted Viper leaning over him with its mouth wide open.

"Crap!" he rolled to the side, avoiding the six inch fangs in the nick of time. He scrambled back on his feet, shield raised and breathing deeply. The hit he had taken hadn't done him any damage, but it was a blunt force attack, so the chance it had of harming him through his Defense was small.

Those fangs, though… having already experienced how powerful the Blotted Viper was, he wasn't quite sure if it could hurt him or not. Better not risk it, though.

He didn't get long to ponder it. The Blotted Viper had already turned to give chase, but…

"Don't forget about little old me!" Alfyn shouted and hurled the glass bottle with suspicious blue powder at the monster. It shattered on impact, the powder that had spread out in a fine mist glowed briefly, then exploded in a thin layer of ice that covered the Blotted Viper's lower body. It hissed piteously and Naofumi could see its Health Bar that had appeared at the top of his field of vision the moment the Blotted Viper had appeared decrease by a small amount. Most importantly, it slowed down considerably, the ice weighing it down and leaving it vulnerable.

Naofumi didn't question the shocking sight. He simply took advantage of it.

"Now's our chance! Attack!"

Raphtalia, Shirou and Alfyn rushed up to the Blotted Viper, weapons raised, Naofumi following closely behind to defend them if necessary.

The Blotted Viper's tail lashed out, aiming for Alfyn, the long appendage moving with the speed of a slaver's whip.

In one smooth motion, the Apothecary ducked under the massive muscle and reached the main body of the Blotted Viper. His axe bit deep into its side, followed a bare second later by Shirou spearing into the serpent's side as Raphtalia's knife dug into its soft underbelly. She twisted the knife and forcefully dragged it down, further opening up the wound even more and increasing the damage.

The Blotted Viper merely hissed at the pain and tried to coil his body around her, the ice beginning to break under the constant stress of the monster trying the escape, seeking to crush her in its coils.

Naofumi's hand dragged the girl to safety in the nick of time.

He took another blow meant for her when the tail of the Blotted Viper lashed out again, the monster's speed almost recovered to what it was before. The blow knocked him on his ass, his breath stolen, and the tail came back for a return blow from above.

Naofumi threw himself to the side, gathering Raphtalia in his arms and taking her with him in the same motion. He instinctively rolled away to increase the distance as much as possible, but it turned out to be unnecessary as Alfyn threw another bottle, this one filled with orange powder.

Shirou, who fortunately hadn't been the Blotted Viper's main target, had immediately retreated from the viper's wild movements. That split second decision kept him save from the following chaos.

The Blotted Viper prioritized the greater threat and smacked the bottle with its tail. It broke on impact and its contents immediately erupted in a fiery conflagration that covered the serpent whole. The monster screeched at the pain and trashed like the mad beast it was until the fire disappeared, though it didn't go out as much as it seemed to flow into the Blotted Viper's body.

Instead of staggering it, the sudden eruption of flame only pissed it off.

The moment the fire disappeared, though, a thrown knife found one of its eyes, ocular fluid arching in the air. Shirou, even though he had been aiming for the serpent's eyes, was actually surprised he'd hit his mark considering the vipers wild contortions.

The Blotted Viper screeched again, tossing its head until the knife dislodged. Naofumi, Raphtalia by his side, checked the monster's Health Bar. It had shrunk and gone into the red, even though by all rights it should have died instantly when the knife had pierced its eye. Maybe the Health and Defense Stat was worth a lot more than he and the other Heroes had figured.

It was kind of bullshit what you could survive with a high Health and Defense Stat now that he thought about it.

Nonetheless, they had the Blotted Viper on the back foot. A few more solid hits should kill it. That said, since this world did function on a modicum of game logic, now would be the time a Boss-type enemy like the Blotted Viper would start to break out the big guns…

Confirming his expectations, the Blotted Viper opened its mouth as wide as it could, spewing out a long line of noxious, poison gas at them.

"Shit! Don't breath it in!"

They scattered. Shirou was relatively safe as he had been attacking from a distance, but the others had to hurriedly backpedal to not get caught up in the poison cloud, a task made all the more difficult by the Blotted Viper chasing after them, not ceasing its attack.

"We can't get close so long as it is using that attack!"

"Just wait a little longer! It's Burn should flare up any moment now!"

It's Burn? What the hell was Alfyn talking about? Before he could ask what Alfyn meant, the apothecary tripped and fell over his own two feet in their retreat, coming to rest on his back with the poison gas approaching.

"Whoa!"

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot!"

Naofumi reversed course and grabbed the fallen apothecary by the back of his shirt, dragging him to safety just as the poison gas was about to engulf him.

"Wait- Here it comes! Get ready!"

Get ready for what!? Naofumi was about to shout at Alfyn to explain himself, but at that moment the poison gas attack was cut off just as abruptly as it started. Naofumi looked back at the Blotted Viper at its screech of pain, and to his shook it was once again aflame, as if it had spontaneously combusted.

_Wait. Burn? As in a status condition?_

Naofumi shook off the random thought. "Doesn't matter. Now's our chance! Finish it, now!"

"Yes, Naofumi-sama!"

"Here we go!"

"You don't have to tell me twice buddy!"

All three the attackers of the party did as instructed, Shirou having retrieved his knife in the mean time. They closed the distance and the second the fire covering the Blotted Viper dropped, they attacked in unison, two knives sinking in deep while an axe severed the monster's tail.

With a barely audible ping, the Blotted Viper's Health Bar dropped to zero. With a final piteous hiss and a venomous look, the Blotted Viper collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, finally dead.

* * *

"So, you're the Shield Hero, huh?"

Alfyn didn't look up from his work as he asked the question. He had pried the dead Blotted Viper's mouth open, holding yet another bottle against one of its fangs to drain it of its venom. Half a dozen bottles filled to capacity were already resting on the grass.

"I am," Naofumi answered. No point in hiding it now. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Alfyn snorted. "Since you saved my life not even a minute ago and made it possible to save Nina's as well, since I highly doubt I could've beat this thing on my own, you could be a serial killer for all I cared and I still would have hugged you if you asked."

"Please don't."

"I wasn't planning on it."

They fell silent after that. Naofumi absently looked around the clearing as the apothecary continued his work. The poison gas the Blotted Viper had released had already faded, leaving the clearing clear. Raphtalia and Shirou were tending to each other. Suprisingly, no one of them had been injured during the fight in spite of the myriad of close calls, but the two kids had run themselves ragged during the short but intense battle.

A Stamina Potion and a moment to cool down was all they needed, though. They'd all really gotten lucky.

"I'm done," Alfyn said, having picked up the venom filled bottles and slid them into his satchel. "Let's go back. The sooner we return to the village, the sooner we can help Nina."

Naofumi nodded and called his slaves over. Raphtalia and Shirou immediately approached.

"You two go on ahead and take Alfyn back to the village. I will follow shortly."

Alfyn looked at him in surprise. Raphtalia and Shirou blinked, before a look of understanding dawned on their faces, though Raphtalia looked faintly worried. "Will you be alright on your own, Naofumi-sama?"

"Don't worry about me. Go. I'll catch up as soon as possible."

Raphtalia and Shirou shared a look, obviously unhappy at the order, but since they couldn't refuse, it was a moot point. The three left the clearing at a quick jog, heading back the way they came.

As soon as they were gone Naofumi turned towards to the carcass of the Blotted Viper. He reached down to his belt, retrieving his work knife. The Legendary Shield's restrictions meant that he couldn't use weapons, but he could use knives and such as tools to butcher monsters.

There was no way he would leave such a prize to rot in the forest.

* * *

**Requirement met: [Blotted Viper Meat Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 12 – Equip Bonus: Defense +8 / Cooking +3 (unmastered]**

**Requirement met: [Blotted Viper Leather Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 14 – Equip Bonus: Health +9 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Blotted Viper Tail Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 9 – Equip Bonus: Stamina +6 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Blotted Viper Fang Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 6 – Equip Bonus: Attack +3 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Blotted Viper Bone Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 15 – Equip Bonus: Defense +12 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Blotted Viper Venom Glands Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 21 – Equip Bonus: Defense +15 / [Toxic Spikes (medium)] / Poison Resistance (low) (unmastered)]**


	6. Game On 5

**Sword and Shield**

**Game On 5**

Naofumi absently tapped his bicep, his arms crossed. He was leaning up against the wall, staring off into space as he and his party waited. He had caught up with his party and Alfyn when they were about to enter town. He could afford to rush his exit out of the swamp as he was practically invulnerable to the low level monsters in the area. When they had showed up at Zeph's doorstep the youth had almost broken down in his relief.

Zeph and Alfyn were sitting in a corner, close by the bedridden Nina, waiting as well. They had put the finishing touches on the All Purpose Antidote and had administered it over two hours ago. Now it was a waiting game, hoping that Nina showed improvement soon.

The two lifelong friends were talking to each other in hushed whispers. Considering the shocked glances Zeph had thrown him a little whole ago, Naofumi could guess what they were talking about. He didn't care what either of them thought of him, so long as Zeph kept his part of the bargain. And if he didn't… well, what happened next would be his own miserable self's fault.

Unnoticed as he brooded, Zeph had finished his conversation with Alfyn and had approached him, a delicate expression on his face.

"Hey."

"Yeah?" Naofumi looked up, eyes narrowed.

"I wanted to thank you for all that you have done," Zeph said. "Alfyn told me that you saved him and that he probably wouldn't have been able to take down the monster without your help. For protecting my friend and helping Nina, I don't think I will ever be able to put into words how thankful I am, but please except my thanks regardless."

Having said his piece, Zeph bowed his head to him and fell silent. He looked and sounded genuine even to the paranoid Naofumi, but he had thought the same of _that woman _at first as well. Naofumi wouldn't trust this youth not to stab him in the back that easily.

"Having said that, I wanted add a caveat to our deal…"

"Oh?" Naofumi straightened and approached Zeph, suddenly appearing domineering. "And what kind of caveat would that be?"

Zeph recoiled at the menacing aura Naofumi was releasing and raised his hands, hurriedly clarifying himself. The others in the room watched the interaction worriedly "Wait, do not get the wrong idea! I'll keep my end of the deal! I just want to make sure I don't get into trouble for teaching you!"

"Go on," Naofumi urged him to continue, relaxing a little, though still towering over Zeph.

Zeph gulped, but plowed ahead. "Your… okay, let me be blunt. You reputation in this country is shit. If people know I taught the Shield Hero, it might be enough to put myself and the people in my life in danger. To prevent that, I just want a promise from you that you will not tell anyone that I taught you. It would be better if no one realizes we know one another."

Naofumi raised a brow at him. "I've been coming and going from your house multiple times today. Is it not already obvious that we know each other?"

"Only to the people of this village. And I trust them not to rat us out."

"Really?" Naofumi questioned skeptically. He acutely remembered the reception he had gotten.

"Of course. As the town Apothecary, I know everyone that lives here, and most of them owe me more than a few favors. As long as I explain the circumstances, they will not snitch on us. I promise."

Naofumi remained skeptical, but eventually relented. He was the one that proposed this deal and he had more or less expected that his identity as the Shield Hero wouldn't remain secret for long. He had to at least try to get his reward. If he had to hold his paranoia back a bit, then so be it.

And if the town's people ratted on them to the country at large, than Zeph would be the one receiving the blowback and not him. He could live with that.

He would be keeping a hawk's eye on Zeph, though. The youth would pay the price at the first sign of treachery.

Naofumi stuck out his hand. Zeph took it, shaking it firmly and sealing the deal. There was no hesitation and the handshake was firm. Strangely, that allayed Naofumi's suspicions a little bit. Not by much, but a little.

"Hey, guys!" Alfyn called excitedly. Everyone turned to look. The blond was sat beside Nina, a hand on her forehead, a smile splitting his face. "Nina's fever just broke!"

There was a moment of silence. Then, a cheer rippled throughout the room.

* * *

After their foray into the swamp and battling the Blotted Viper the Shield Hero's party had retreated to their room at the Inn. Though none of them had been injured they were all exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally by their struggles throughout the day, so Naofumi had called it an early night and instructed his slaves to do the same.

The very next day they were back at it again, up bright and early. Building up a routine again with Riyute Village as their base, they headed out towards the surrounding areas. First the forest, then the mountain range and then they hit the swamp again. They systematically cleared out the monsters in all locations, butchering them for their parts and unlocking more and more shields. Repeated usage of the same parts from different monsters meant that these shields were quickly mastered.

By Naofumi's count they had added well over three hundred new mastered shields to his repertoire. None of them were anything special, but all the equip bonuses added up nicely to his Stats.

Late in the evening, when it started becoming dark, they would head back to the village. Naofumi would let his slaves play with their ball and the other village children, who luckily didn't seem to have any problem with demi-humans, while he headed to the Apothecary for his lessons. Both of them had made a friend in Nina, who had quickly recovered with no complications. Besides that, Zeph had so far kept his promise and was diligently teaching him. Alfyn regularly pitched in, apparently determined to do his part in rewarding Naofumi.

This state of affairs continued for about a week. The Medicines he had learned to make with the help of the Legendary Shield were apparently a wild mishmash on the scale of usefulness and difficulty to make, with even a few middling level Medicines mixed in, so Alfyn and Zeph had him start from the very bottom to create a solid base for him to work off of. With a few instructions from his teachers, he was quickly able to reproduce those low-level Medicines and concoctions at a high quality with relative ease, aided by his considerable high level Skill in compounding he had been cultivating from almost day one. He then sold those Medicines to Zeph for a generous price.

EXP. Shields. Money. Knowledge. Their continued work was paying dividends in a multitude of ways.

And neither, he found, was the work thankless.

Naofumi had noticed that the attitude of the villagers towards him had changed. It had already improved when the news had spread that it was because of him and his party that Zeph's little sister had been saved. That had been enough for them to treat him with dignity. But when he started hunting the monsters in the surroundings, the monsters that had been especially agitated lately for unknown reasons and, he later learned, were responsible for the damages to the village's outskirts, it was enough for them to treat him with actual, genuine respect.

Though he didn't trust these people not to turn on him at the first sign of trouble, it was a nice change of pace. Besides, he could take advantage of it while it lasted.

Currently, he was in their room at the Inn. Raphtalia and Shirou were sitting in a corner. Raphtalia was explaining something to Shirou, who appeared shocked, while Raphtalia appeared shocked and exasperated that Shirou was ignorant on whatever she was explaining. Not that he cared overly much what they were talking about.

"How can you not know…" Naofumi heard Raphtalia say, but didn't bother listening in. He had more important things on his mind.

Feeding his shield, for instance.

In front of him was a wide array of miscellaneous items laid down on the ground. Things like children toys all the way to essentials and other useless crap. Some of the villagers had wanted to thank him for all that he'd done for them. As your average villager, they didn't have much in the way of money to reward him, so instead he asked for something far more valuable in his case: random junk they no longer needed. After all, almost anything could be used to unlock shields.

He picked up one of the items, a length of rusted pipe, and fed it to his shield.

**Requirement met: [Pipe Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 4 – Equip Bonus: [Shield Prison] (unmastered]**

Shield Prison? What's that? He checked the Help Menu in his Status screen. Huh, interesting. A Skill that makes a prison made out of shields that can either be used to trap enemies or protect allies. Range is fifty meters, SP cost minimal, cooldown is ten seconds. How strong the shields are making up the prison is proportionate to his own Defense Stat (Shield Prison's Defense = Hero's Defense/10), so the Skill would grow stronger as he himself grew stronger. Neat.

This Skill alone was worth the trouble of asking for these items. He quickly changed his shield into the Pipe Shield. He'd noticed that the more shields he unlocked the less time it took to master them. It was probably a hidden Stat of some kind. Currently it would only take about three hours to master the Pipe Shield, which was down from the twelve hours it had first been, and make the Shield Prison Skill his own. In the meantime, he would continue what he had been doing. Naofumi absently picked up a length of rope and dropped it unto the green jewel set into his shield.

**Requirement met: [Rope Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 2 – Equip Bonus: [Air Strike Shield] (unmastered]**

**Special Ability: Hook**

Another Skill, huh? And a Special Ability on top of that. Lucky. He once again checked the Skill in his Help Menu. A shield made of air that can be conjured up anywhere within a ten meter radius around the user. SP cost was the same as the Shield Prison, but the cooldown was fifteen seconds, a whole five seconds longer. Air Strike Shield was considerably stronger than Shield Prison, though (Air Strike Shield's Defense = Hero's Defense/5), so he guessed everything evened out.

"_**GROWL"**_

Naofumi was about to feed another item to his shield, but paused when a loud growl echoed throughout the room. He looked up, exasperated, as he looked at his squirming, embarrassed slaves. Their stomachs had just growled in hunger in unison.

"Again, huh?" Naofumi grumbled. "Fine, let's stop for now and get some grub."

"Thanks, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia smiled widely. Shirou nodded.

Naofumi got up, privately grumbling to himself they'd last eaten less than two hours ago. Really, these two had been getting hungrier and hungrier lately. First Raphtalia, and then Shirou. And it wasn't something that had gradually built up. As if a flip had been switched, his two slaves had become utter gluttons, eating more and more at closer and closer intervals.

He didn't notice at the time, but looking back on it later he would kick himself when he'd realized that this started when his slaves' Levels surpassed their physical ages. Or the fact that his slaves later requested new, much bigger clothes. The fact that he did not realize even then was a testament to his less than open state of mind at the time.

* * *

The time had come. It was finally time to take a crack at the dungeon.

Apparently, the dungeon they were about to challenge used to be a well to do mine. It was rare, but certain places can be converted into dungeons when they were suddenly infested with monsters without warning. Through some eldritch means, the former ordinary locations become death traps where monsters could literally spawn out of the walls like mildew. There was no knowledge on how this happened and how it could be undone. That's why, even if the mine in front of them was long abandoned, it still held an abundance of minerals and materials they could mine. Besides the variety of monsters they were going to grind, this was the main reason they'd come here.

Naofumi was determined to get some. Both for his shield and the promise of greater profits.

"Okay, you two know the plan," Naofumi reiterated as they were about to enter the mine. "We'll first clear out the entire dungeon. After we finished exterminating all the monsters we'll mine as much ore as we can before heading back to Riyute Village. Depending on how long this takes, we might do this several times today. If you start feeling exhausted, immediately speak up. You two are no good to me dead on your feet."

"Okay, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia nodded, already having her knife out.

Shirou had similarly drawn his knife. "Will do, Master."

Naofumi held out a torch in his offhand and as always went first. Shirou and Raphtalia followed close behind.

The first part of the dungeon was a short tunnel supported by wooden beams, belying its roots as a mine. In the distance they could hear the sound of water, the sound of a distant waterfall spilling over the edge. The sound grew louder as they walked.

Naofumi absently checked the Apothecary satchel strapped to his side. It had been a gift from both Zeph and Alfyn, one of their spares. Now he had a convenient way to carry around the various Medicines and concoctions with him into the field. Moreover, with what Alfyn had personally taught him and had demonstrated the effectiveness off in advance, he now could contribute much more directly during battle. Naofumi absently patted the satchel, eager to test out his creations.

After a while, the tunnel opened up before them and they stepped foot in a large open area bereft of any structural supports. A soft light filtered in from above, piercing through a small hole in the ceiling of the mine. The room was massive with the ceiling suspended almost two dozen meters over their heads. The waterfall they had heard was right in front of them, feeding a river the disappeared down a tunnel to their right. The air was chocked with dust.

"Huh, where are the monsters?" Naofumi heard Shirou mutter behind him. The kid was right. Weren't dungeon's supposed to be chock-full with monsters? Contrary to what had happened, he had expected to meet their first opponent back in the tunnel.

Raphtalia tugged on his sleeve. "Naofumi-sama," she said and pointed deeper into the room, directing his attention to several puddles of blood and bones scattered throughout.

Naofumi's eyes narrowed. "Stick close," he ordered his slaves as they headed deeper. They inspected every puddle of blood and bones. The bones had been picked clean of flesh with only a light scattering of blood remaining. There was no conclusive evidence of what had happened, but…

…There were several paw prints in the puddles of blood. Naofumi imagined a particularly large dog. He heard Raphtalia whimper behind him, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Another monsters spawned by the wave?" he mused to himself. It was a possibility, not that it mattered overly much, but it was rather obvious that something big and nasty had taken up residence in the dungeon. Something that had been hunting the other monsters and feeding on them.

"What do we do?"

"We'll continue. We won't get anywhere if we always avoid danger," Naofumi said, getting up.

Privately, he just wanted to get rid of whatever this was so that they could make this dungeon their hunting ground. Besides that, the Blotted Viper had given him the most powerful shields he had ever gotten to date. Maybe this other monster would unlock equally powerful shields?

Naofumi was eager to find out.

They cautiously ventured in deeper and eventually found themselves near the top of the waterfall. It was hauntingly silent, until…

"_GRRRR!_"

It was a large, black dog, only it had two heads. And it was massive, easily a bit taller on all fours then the Blotted Viper had been. It's barrel chest swelled as it breathed through its chops, looking like it was about to burst. A whip-like tail swung behind it. It regarded them with hunger is it silently slinked out of the shadows in their direction.

**[Otherworld Two Headed Black Dog Lv: 25]**

If he hadn't had the experience with the Blotted Viper before, Naofumi was sure he would have hesitated more. As it was, he stepped forward, able to taste the fear in the back of his mouth, but his previous experience ensured that he didn't hesitate.

He was the party's wall. If he faltered, their entire formation would break.

"…Raphtalia?"

Naofumi heard Shirou question. He chanced a glance back, and to his dismay he saw Raphtalia looking of into a distant point in space. Her breath was shallow, her eyes distant and glazed, the grip on her knife slack as she trembled. Shit! This was just like when she was having her nightmares. There was no way she would be able to fight like that!

"Shirou! Snap her out of it! I'll distract the dog as long as I-"

"_AWOOOOOOOOOO!_"

The Two Headed Black Dog dashed towards them with an earsplitting howl. Sensing weakness by instinct, it targeted Raphtalia first.

Shirou took up a stance in front of the frozen Raphtalia, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Naofumi rushed in front of them, changing his shield into the form with the highest base Defense Stat, and dug his heels into the ground, bracing himself for the impact.

There was a thunderous impact as the Two Headed Black Dog slammed head first into Naofumi's Shield, the blast of air released by the impact ruffling his hair. His feet slid back, but he barely managed to hold his ground, even as the monster's two heads snapped at him, trying to get a grip on and tear into his flesh.

Ugh, it was so heavy, but Naofumi wouldn't buckle. He planted his feet firmly into the ground, took a deep breath and shoved the Two Headed Black Dog back a bit. That only bought him a second's respite, though. He needed longer if they wanted to get to the root of what was wrong with Raphtalia. Luckily, he had just the thing.

With a click his satchel opened, but the Two Headed Black Dog pounced once again, baring its fangs.

A round glass bottle with bright yellow powder was pulled from the satchel. A concoction taught to him by Alfyn, he flung it head on at the monster bearing down on him as he backed away.

The bottle hit the Two Headed Black Dog snout first, broke on impact, and the bright yellow powder glowed as it enveloped its target. The monster froze, static electricity dancing about its form, locking up its muscles and freezing it in its tracks. It had been Paralyzed.

"Quick, Shirou!"

Understanding what Naofumi wanted, Shirou grabbed the catatonic Raphtalia and turned towards the waterfall to their back. With Naofumi following in their wake, they jumped down, leaving the Two Headed Black Dog behind. For now.

* * *

"What the hell was that, Raphtalia! You can't just freak out on me like that!"

They had just pulled themselves free from the river. Luckily, the waterfall wasn't that high and the river was pretty deep, so all of them got out of it soaked but uninjured.

Raphtalia flinched at his yelling. Naofumi took a deep breath. Getting angry at her wasn't going to solve whatever was wrong. Besides that, Shirou was glaring at him as he supported Raphtalia, a hand rubbing soothing circles on her back. He had better calm down and solve whatever was wrong right now before it became a problem in the future. He'd rather not have a mutiny on his hands. If Raphtalia refused to fight and Shirou made it his problem if he forced the issue with the Slave Crest…

No, it was better to avoid that.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry," Raphtalia stuttered, repeating her words and collapsing in on herself at Naofumi's angry yelling. She wasn't unresponsive anymore, but the haunted looked on her was little better. "I, I know have to fight, but my mind suddenly went blank, and…"

"What happened?" Raphtalia looked up at the sudden question. Naofumi stared back. "You probably have those nightmares of yours for the same reason, right? Spit it out."

"I, uh, I mean, is het now really the time?" Raphtalia muttered, shifty-eyed.

"It will take some time before the paralysis wears off and that dog can give chase," Naofumi assured. "Talk. We have time."

Raphtalia hesitated, but under the expectant gazes of Shirou and Naofumi, she opened her mouth and started to talk. "I am from a small village in this country where you can see the ocean..."

* * *

_Once, there was a village by the sea._

_It's a village full of demi-humans, a village of unfortunates in a country where they are second class citizens._

_No one there was well off and life was hard. But everyone was friendly with each other and lived side by side peacefully. _

_Until that day. The day the sky went dark red and split open. Monsters that had never been seen or heard of before came spilling out by their thousands from the cracks in the sky, ravaging the lands and attacking everything in sight. The first Wave of Calamity told of in legends so long ago. _

_And, as fate would have it, the village of demi-humans was right at the center of the catastrophe. Before anyone knew what was going on, the demi-human village was entirely swept up in the waves of encroaching monsters._

_In the chaos two parents, a loving father and mother, desperately tried to get their daughter to safety. But fate was cruel that day. Pursued by skeletal warriors, zombies and gigantic insects, led by a massive Three Headed Dog, they quickly found themselves trapped, their backs to the sea on a high cliff. _

_Realizing that they couldn't escape, the parents looked into each other's eyes, then turned towards their daughter, smiling. _

_The daughter was shaking, knowing that death was approaching, but her parents patted her head and comforted her. She was too young to realize her parents were planning on sacrificing themselves to save her._

_With a shove and a silent wish for their daughters safety, the parents pushed their daughter from the lip of the cliff and into the sea. They stayed put as the monsters approached, knowing that if they were to follow their daughter into the sea, the monsters would pursue them and kill all three. By offering up their bodies to the hoard, their daughter might yet have a chance at survival._

_The daughter screamed as she plummeted into the sea. The last sight she would ever have of her parents was their smiling faces as the Three Headed Dog bore down on them. _

_Luckily, the daughter washed up on a nearby shore, and by the time she did, the wave had come to an end. The adventurers and knights of the kingdom having beaten back the calamity. She made her way back to the cliff, the fields of her home littered with eviscerated bodies and bones._

…_Only to find some blood and strips of flesh. What little remained of her parents._

_Something snapped inside of the daughter that day. She'd lost everything but her life, so she resolved to live her life to the fullest._

_Unfortunately, disaster was followed by betrayal. The knights of the realm once tasked with defending them captured the surviving denizens of the demi-human village, selling them off as slaves. _

_Eventually, the daughter ended up in the hands of the Slave Trader. She bounced around from home to home, her trauma and the nightmares she woke up from screaming in the night making the people who bought her return her to the Slave Trader in short order. Every buyer was crueler than the last and the daughter, despite her resolve, was being worn down. When she fell ill, she took it as a sign that she was meant to die._

_That was until, by some miracle, she was bought by a stern, but kind master. The Hero of the Shield. _

* * *

"…And that's how we ended up meeting, Shirou, Naofumi-sama."

"I see," Naofumi muttered. She was stronger than he'd figured. The Wave itself was the source of her trauma, or, to be more precise, the monsters that had been spawned by it. And yet, she was still able to fight with the bare minimum of encouragement. She had a teammate she could fall back on and his own formidable Defense to keep her safe, yes, but it was impressive all the same. The bests of environments to thrive were meaningless without the resolve to improve.

Shirou had fallen silent, still kneeling besides Raphtalia. He, too, had once been caught up in a disaster that had cost him his family, but he both could and couldn't really relate. That trauma of that day, that terrible fire, was always with him, but it had also led to memory loss. Unlike Raphtalia, he couldn't remember what he had lost. There were painful memories, yes, but they weren't underscored by the good things it had cost him. That part was just a blank to him. That could be better or worse, depending on who you ask.

"Raphtalia," Naofumi led out a deep, heavy breath. "I get that you are scared. And as I said before, it's cruel for me to force you to fight, but…"

"_GRRR!"_

At the deep growl behind him, Naofumi cut himself off and spun around. The Two Headed Black Dog had finally chased them down. It slinked towards them, hackles raised and angry.

Shirou immediately got up, knife bared as he stepped in front of Raptalia. Said girl both trembled and stumbled back as the Two Headed Black Dog closed the distance, eyes sunken in fear.

"You can step back if you want, Raphtalia," Naofumi said.

"W-What?!"

"Me and Shirou can take on this monster just fine. If you think you can't fight, then don't."

"That's right, Raphtalia. You can trust us to deal with this. Get to safety," Shirou backed him up

"But, I can't just… run away… running away was what got everyone… my parents… but me killed," she murmured.

"Raphtalia, no matter what you do now, be it fighting or running away, your parents can never come back. Realize that," Naofumi said. Raphtalia recoiled at the blunt words like she had been slapped. "All you can do now is look towards the future. If you want to run, then run. If you want to fight, then fight. But if you chose to fight, you can help other kids. Stop them from ending up like you, to stop the same travesties that made you a slave in the first place!"

Naofumi knew it was a poor argument. He was a slave owner. He was the last person to argue about saving other people from the cruelties of slavery, nor did he care about helping random strangers. He just wanted to survive, go home and leave this rotten world behind. A selfish desire, but in service of that desire, he would do his best to encourage the people who could help him attain it.

He had done the same for Shirou, after all.

"I…"

The Two Headed Black dog didn't give Raphtalia long to ponder Naofumi's words. It pounced towards them, claws raised and fangs gleaming.

Naofumi met its charge with one of his own. They met with a bang, the Two Headed Black Dog stopped cold in its tracks, even as it tried to sink its claws and fangs into Naofumi, but the halfhearted attacks from a bad position had no hope of harming Naofumi.

Shirou swung around the monster's side, knife plunging into the side of its belly.

The Two Headed Black Dog yipped in pain and disengaged from Naofumi, spinning around with speed that startled all of them. It's whip-like tail slashed Shirou's face with surprising force, unable as he was to make sufficient distance.

Shirou cried out as his face snapped to the side, his entire body contorting as he fell to the ground.

"No!" Raphtalia murmured as the Two Headed Black Dog pounced towards the defenseless Shirou, as he looked up at monster bearing down on him.

"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi shouted. The Skill took effect, a green, translucent shield appearing in the Two Headed Dog's path.

It slammed into it with bone jarring force, but the shield held strong.

Shirou quickly scrambled for distance as the their foe stepped back, shaking both its heads in pain.

"Don't hesitate!" Naofumi shouted, moving forward with his shield raised. "I'll protect you as best as I am able! I'll make sure there will be openings to exploit!"

The words were meant for Shirou, but Raphtalia heard it loud and clear all the same. She gripped her knife in a white-knuckle grip, even as the involuntary trembling of her body had stopped.

_I don't…_

Emboldened by Naofumi's actions and words, Shirou followed in lockstep behind him. The Shield Hero slammed full force into the Two Headed Black Dog, sending it sprawling onto its side. Naofumi held it down as Shirou descended on it, his knife plunging into the beast again and again, trying to down it as quickly as possible.

…_Want the people…_

The Two Headed Black Dog, however, was made from sterner stuff than the Blotted Viper. It roared, loud enough to produce a minor shockwave that was visible and dislodged both Naofumi and Shirou from it.

Both of them rolled with it, tumbling across the ground as they tried to make as much distance as they possibly could. The Two Headed Black Dog was agile and as quick as a dime on its feet, they had realized this, but even then they were surprised at the speed it displayed.

The muscles in the monster's legs coiled and sprung like a loaded spring as it pounced after the just recovering Naofumi, knocking the Shield Hero back over onto his back.

…_Who always protect me…_

The fangs of the Two Headed Black Dogs sank into Naofumi's shoulder. A gasp escaped him.

…_To be hurt! I don't want them to leave me!_

Raphtalia leaped, the Leveling she had done and the adrenaline in her system imparting superhuman strength into her limbs. She flew up above the tangled pair on the ground and slammed down on one of the heads of the Two Headed Dog. Her knife plunged through its skull.

The one head went limp, the other gave an unholy screech and threw Raphtalia away from it. Even as the monster released Naofumi in its panic, one of its heads dead and limp, it immediately zeroed in on the one that had harmed it so grievously.

The knife Raphtalia had been wielding had broken in the rough tumble, the blade lying in chunks beside her. She grabbed the largest piece, uncaring as the cutting edge bit into the palm of her hand and spilled her blood. She took hold of it firmly and lunged back towards the monster.

The Two Headed Black dog lunged to meet her, enraged, one head dead and the other roaring like the mad beast it was.

Unfortunately for it, it had lost sight of its other opponents. From the side a thrown knife pierced the monster's left front paw, making the Two Headed Black Dog stumble in its charge. "Do it, now, Raphtalia!" Shirou shouted, hand still outstretched from his picture perfect throw.

The Two Headed Black Dog snarled at her approach.

Raphtalia didn't need to be told twice, undaunted. She reached the wobbled Two Headed Black Dog and jumped, the broken knife ramming through the roof of its slobbering mouth, as she stabbed with all the force she could muster. A spurt of blood and brain matter coated the blade as it emerged from the top of the monster's head.

The Two Headed Black Dog didn't even make a sound. It just fell over, dead.

Raphtalia landed on her feet, but immediately collapsed to her knees, out of breath and once again trembling. Then, a laugh escaped her. She… she had done it! She had killed that which had been haunting her in her nightmares for weeks.

More importantly she'd succeeded in protecting Naofumi-sama… Just like he was always protecting her.

"Well done, Raphtalia."

"Naofumi-sama… I'm glad you weren't hurt…"

Raphtalia looked up, a watery, but true smile on her face as Naofumi approached, a hand on his shoulder. He removed it as he approached, revealing that, while his clothes had been ripped, his skin had remained unmarred. Even the Two Headed Black Dog hadn't had the Attack required to defeat Naofumi's Defense. She had been working herself up over nothing, but, as she looked at the corpse of the Two Headed Black Dog and her master, she felt much lighter, as if an invisible burden had been removed from her shoulders.

…_I want to hold you close…and keep you safe._

"I told both of you this once already. I defend, you attack. Like this, all of us will be walking away from danger in one piece."

"Yes," she said, taking his hand and being pulled to her feet.

"That was really amazing, Raphtalia," Shirou exclaimed. "I didn't know you had such good aim."

"I could say the same to you," Raphtalia giggled, feeling refreshed.

Naofumi clapped his hands once, gathering their attention. "Okay, we'll take a short breather for now and then we'll explore the rest of the dungeon. If there are any stragglers that dog left behind, we will deal with them and then mine some ore."

Raphtalia and Shirou nodded.

"But first, Shirou, would you Project a replacement knife for Raphtalia? I'll butcher the remains of this monster in the meantime."

* * *

**Requirement met: [Two Headed Black Dog Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 20 – Equip Bonus: [Alert Shield] (unmastered]**

**Special Ability: Dog Bite (attack)**

**Requirement met: [Light Metal Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 35 – Equip Bonus: Defense +8, (unmastered]**

**Special Ability: Magic Nullification (medium)**

* * *

**I'm sure that some of you must be wondering why Naofumi didn't take any damage from the Two Headed Black Dog like he did in canon. It's pretty simple, really. He has much more mastered weapon forms than in canon, so his Stats are much higher even if he has the same Level. Besides that, he wasn't using the Rope Shield with its low base Defense since he already had the Air Strike Shield Skill mastered. **


	7. Game On 6

**Sword and Shield **

**Game On 6**

"Hey, Old Man! We're back!"

The bell of the weapon shop jangled merrily as the door slammed shut.

"Shield boy, back in one piece I see? I hope you and your kids have been… doing… well..?"

The Old Man behind the counter trailed off, an almost comical look of surprise on his face as his eyes focused on the ever present two figures behind the Shield Hero's back.

"Hmm," Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

The Old Man didn't answer, his attention solely focused on the two smiling demi-humans that greeted him warmly. In most aspects, these two were the exactly the same when compared to a few weeks ago when this ragtag group had first set out for Riyute Village, but now he didn't have to bend down anymore if he wanted to look them in the eye.

Both of them were now adult sized with Raphtalia half a head shorter then Naofumi and Shirou every bit as tall as the Shield Hero. They were decked out in a complete set of Leather Armour, containing a thick chest piece, padded gloves, thigh high boots, and a short skirt for Raphtalia and leggings for Shirou. Simple but effective. Not knives, but full sized swords were sheathed at their sides.

The Old Man whistled, impressed. "Damn, I barely even recognized you two. You guys must have been Levelling like crazy for results like these. Have you been doing nothing but fighting?"

"Of course not," Raphtalia said, ears twitching happily at the Old Man's appraising words. "We've also been working on gathering up as much money as we can. Besides, I've also been learning proper table manners from Shirou. Right, Shirou?"

"She's a quick learner."

"Not like learning how to hold a fork correctly is all that impressive," Raphtalia jabbed the smiling Shirou in the side with her elbow.

"To be honest, I was worried what would become of the both of you at first," the Old Man admitted, looking relieved at the natural comradery the demi-humans were exuding and how healthy they appeared compared to when he first met them. "But now I see this old man was worrying over nothing. The difference is like night and day. You really did a great job looking after these two, Shield Boy."

"If you say so," Naofumi gave a careless shrug. "I'm just relieved Raphtalia has gotten over her cough and night terrors. She's also been eating well and her physique has gotten a lot better."

A chocking sound escaped Raphtalia. "Naofumi-sama! Goodness, don't say it like that! You make it sound like I've gotten fat!"

"Well, both you and Shirou have been eating like crazy lately. Maybe it would be good to cut back on the food a bit in the near future."

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia sounded scandalized.

A deep, booming laugh escaped the Old Man. "Nonsense, Shield Boy! Just look at her. She's become such a looker. And if I were a woman or into men, I'd reckon I'd say the same thing about the boy. He certainly isn't a scrawny pipsqueak anymore."

Shirou's lips twitched at being called a pipsqueak, even if it was in the past tense.

"…Think so?" Naofumi said, sounding less then sure.

"Well aren't you a stick in the mud," the Old Man sighed, good cheer fading a little bit.

Naofumi's permanent glower deepened. "Hey, I was surprised too. I can't remember how many men have gone out of their way to compliment Raphtalia's looks and give her free stuff and whatnot. And I swear I've seen a couple woman check out Shirou from time to time as well..."

"Eh," a sound of surprise escaped Shirou.

"I swear this entire country is filled with lolicons," Naofumi huffed.

The Old Man looked at Naofumi like he had grown a second head. "Shield Boy, are you telling me you don't know about demi-humans? Hell, haven't you noticed anything… different about your companions?"

"Different like what?"

The Old Man shot a questioning look towards Raphtalia and Shirou, who shook their heads. Raphtalia mouthed that they would explain later.

"Anyway," the Old Man clasped his callused hands. "I'm assuming you came here for more than just showing off your kids, Shield Boy. What can I do for you?"

Before Naofumi could even open his mouth to answer Raphtalia quickly cut in, "We would like to buy Naofumi-same some new armor." Shirou nodded in agreement.

"Say what," Naofumi let slip in surprise. "What are you talking about. I'm fine because the Legendary Shield keeps me safe. We came here to buy you both better weapons and gear."

"I'm glad you want to buy the best possible equipment for us, Naofumi-sama, but I would prefer it if you thought about yourself a bit as well."

"Master's Defence has always been the core of our strategies during combat," Shirou backed Raphtalia up. "It makes sense to further capitalize on that."

"And, to be frank, Naofumi-sama, disregarding your shield you look like an ordinary villager. You're a Hero remember. You have to have a little regard for appearances too!"

Naofumi found his objections being overruled by his slaves before he could even voice them. It was not like he didn't have a solid reasoning to prioritize Raptalia's and Shirou's equipment over his own. He hadn't been injured yet since coming to this world, his Defence keeping him safe from harm. It just seemed like a waste to further build on that, excessive as his Defence Stat already was, instead of enhancing his slaves own defensive and offensive capabilities.

In spite of that solid reasoning, it was clear that Raphtalia and Shirou weren't going to back down. He had to hold back a sigh, not yet giving up the argument, but silently pondering how assertive and stubborn they had gotten lately. They had always been that way to an extent, but now they'd openly argue with him and criticize him when they were of different mind than him.

It was vexing, but he didn't stop them. His slaves only argued with him if they honestly believed that going another route than what he intended would be beneficial for him. Spiteful though he was, he was not conceited enough to believe that he always knew best. So long as they continued to do their best supporting him, he would let some lip slide.

"The time for the next wave is approaching, isn't it?" Raphtalia said. "Now is the best time to reequip yourself."

"I could say the same about you guys," Naofumi countered.

The Old Man clapped his hands together, the sound reverberating like a gong through the weapon shop. Everyone turned to look at him. "How about you first tell me how much you have to spend and we go form there?" he said, sounded exasperated. "I'd rather not having you arguing in my shop for the entire day."

Naofumi broke his staring contest with his slaves, shrugged and took a heavy looking bag from his waist. It made a satisfying thunk when he unceremoniously dropped it on the counter in front of the Old Man. "Here it is, 673 pieces of silver in total."

The Old man raised a brow, impressed. Most rookie adventures would be lucky to make that much in a year, much less a few weeks. It was all the more impressive considering this one's reputation in this country. "You _have _been working hard. How did you make so much money in so little time?"

"Hard work and aggressive negotiations."

"Negotiations?"

"_Very_ aggressive negotiations," Naofumi said, putting particular emphasize on the very.

Seeing at how exasperated both Raphtalia and Shirou looked at that blatant admission of less than stellar negotiating tactics, the Old Man decided to drop it and get straight down to business. "I… see. Anyway, you can buy quite a bit with this amount of money."

At first, the Old man offered Naofumi some Chainmail, something with a high Defence rating and was easy to move in. It was the most balanced piece of armor in his shop, but…

"No way in hell am I wearing _that_ thing," Naofumi spat, gritting his teeth at the suggestion.

Both Raphtalia and Shirou appeared taken aback at Naofumi's reaction. Considering what had happened to the Chainmail that Naofumi had bought the first time he had come to his shop, and, more importantly, on _whose_ recommendation he had bought it…

Yeah, he should have expected that reaction.

The Old Man scratched the back of his head, a pondering expression on his face.

"You know, considering your speciality as the Shield Hero and your funds, I'm thinking a custom made set of armor would be best."

"Custom made?"

The Old Man hummed and nodded, a winning smile on his face. He took out a large chart scrawled full with lists of materials and diagrams. "This is a pet project of mine. An upgraded set of Barbarian Armor. You won't find this anywhere else on the market."

"Barbarian Armor," Naofumi tested the name. "Sounds nasty."

"It really isn't. It's not like it's cursed or something. I don't deal in that sort of crap," the Old Man snorted.

Naofumi focused his eyes on the chart in front of him. It was scrawled full with the foreign language of this world that looked like nonsense to his eyes. The Legendary Shield automatically translated speech, but it didn't come with an auto translator for the written tongue. Honestly, he thought that was a criminal oversight in the functions of the Legendary Shield.

"I can't read this."

"Oops, my bad, I forget you aren't from this world," the Old Man coughed and started explaining.

"… I see," Naofumi nodded. "So long as we provide some of the materials, the cost will only be 360 pieces of silver."

"As expected, you only focus on the price."

"You know me so well."

Shirou rolled his eyes at the barbed bantering and stepped forward, searching through the various bags fastened to his waist. "Luckily, we have most of the materials right here. It's fortunate we didn't head straight for the market to sell our loot."

The Old Man mentally checked off the materials spread out on his counter. Usapil and Porcupine skins. Pikyu Pikyu feathers. And Eggug shells. He nodded. "That's nearly everything I need. The only other thing I need is several bars of bronze and iron."

"Okay! We will go and buy those right now! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Raphtalia?! What the hell are you doing?!"

Raphtalia grabbed Naofumi by the hand and dragged the protesting Shield Hero out of the weapon shop. The girl had practically exploded with excitement and would not be dissuaded.

"Come on, Naofumi-sama! Don't you want to look like a real Hero finally?"

"I really don't care… Hey, hold on a moment, Raphtalia! Shouldn't we wait for Shirou?"

"It's fine! We'll be back shortly. I'm sure he won't mind waiting for us."

Both Shirou and the Old Man listened and watched in bemusement as Raphtalia forcibly took off with the Shield Hero, heedless of his protests. They could hear the two of them from far down street until finally their voices finally disappeared.

"… Shouldn't you go after them?" the Old Man asked with a raised brow.

"Like Raphtalia said they will be back in short order. And they don't need me to buy some bronze and iron bars," Shirou said, then shrugged. "Besides, didn't you have some questions?"

The Old Man got the hint. Raphtalia and Shirou had split up their party on purpose so that they could talk in private. "I see. Anyway, what the hell is up with Shield Boy? Is he suffering from a curse or something? How could he not notice what kind of effect Levelling has had on the two of you? There's a limit to how unobservant a person can be."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you that."

The Old Man blinked at the sudden rejoinder.

"What the hell happened to Master before he bought us?" Shirou asked, eyes on the Old Man with piercing focus. "It's clear that there is something wrong with his mental state. We've heard the rumours going around about our Master, but there is clearly more to the story. Despite how he acts, it's clear he isn't a bad person at heart, and yet he acts and is treated like a common criminal."

"So that's how it is," the Old Man scratched his head. "He never told you what happened?"

"Both me and Raphtalia have asked why he had to resort to buying us, but that only makes him mad. He clams up tighter than an oyster whenever we bring it up."

"Hmm, boy, what do you know of this country?"

"It's called Melromarc, demi-humans are treated as second class citizens and slavery is legal."

"Never heard of the Church of the Three Heroes? This country's national religion?"

Shirou's expression conveyed that he had not.

"I had assumed as much," the Old Man mumbled.

"What does religion have to do with Master's reputation?"

"The answer is in the name, boy. The Church of _Three _Heroes, not four. The Sword, Spear and Bow Hero are considered divine in this country, living gods. The Shield Hero on the other hand… well, according to the Church's religious texts, the Shield Hero is a devil, the patron deity of our enemies and the great evil of this world. Their words, not mine."

"Wait, so _that's_ why they call him the Devil of the Shield." Shirou said in disbelief. "Religion?"

"Hmm, mmm," the Old Man hummed and nodded. "That, I highly suspect, is the reason why he was framed for a crime less than a day after he was summoned."

"Framed for rape you mean," Shirou hissed at the Old Man's grim nod. "Fuck."

Shirou wasn't one usually to swear, but he felt that the situation warranted it. Being summoned, or kidnapped in another words, to another world, being stringed along by kind words, only to be stabbed in the back at the first opportunity. Hell, it was even worse. They didn't even the common decency to send him back home, if they even could, now that they presumably had what they wanted from him. They kidnapped him, used and abused him, and then left him to rot because they thought they could get away with it.

Hell, considering the circumstances, it was like they were telling him to go out and die, broken, alone and hated by everybody.

All of that because of _religion_. Shirou could feel the fury at the injustice building so much that he felt sick to his stomach, the bile rising in his throat. No wonder Naofumi had a perpetual aura of hate and sour emotions around him.

"Why didn't Master say anything?"

"I doubt he knows, or, at least, not all of it," the Old Man said. "He's never mentioned the Church of the Three Heroes, has he? And I doubt anyone would go out of their way to inform him. I certainly haven't."

"Why didn't you?"

"What good would that do? It's not like knowing the cause will solve the problem in this case. I was afraid that if I told him that it would kill his motivation. Better that he believe he was merely screwed over by a few greedy statesman instead of being set up the fail from even before the beginning."

Shirou was dubious. "Are you sure? I don't think being kept ignorant, no matter the motivation, is a good thing."

"It has worked so far, hasn't it?" the Old Man countered.

"I don't know…"

"The Shield Boy has it rough, yes, but with the aid of you two he has slowly been dragging himself out of the hole he had been put in. Do you really want to jeopardize that?"

"No, but you realize I can't lie to him, right? The moment he asks, I will have to tell him."

"Only if he asks. And he has no reason to ask so long as you don't give him one."

True, but still…

"Please, boy. If the situation changes you can tell him, but as it is right now, I think it's better if things stay the way they are right now."

Seeing how earnest the Old Man was being, Shirou, though with great reluctance, agreed.

"Fine, but I still don't like it."

"Considering the situation, I thought that would be a given."

* * *

"See, just like I told you. Fits like a charm!"

The next day, after having brought the Old Man all the materials necessary the day before, the Shield Hero's party once more found themselves in the weapon shop of the Old Man.

Shirou whistled, impressed. "You sure work quick."

"Only when I feel particularly inspired," the Old Man waved off his praise.

"You're right, though," Raphtalia was beaming, eyes sparkling. "It really does fit you, Naofumi-sama. You look so dashing!"

In contrast to Raphtalia's praise filled words, the Shield Hero himself looked dubious. The Barbarian Armor was now equipped to his person. Like the name implied, it was a wild and rugged looking armor set with its primary colour scheme being green and brown. The base of the armor was formed by a green pair of pants and a brown shirt made of leather harvested from Usapils and Porcupines, adorned with an assortment of belts and buckles. A secondary layer of armor was placed over this in the form of pauldrons, vambraces, hip guards and thigh highs boots made out of specially treated and hardened leather and stuffed full with PikyuPikyu feathers for comfort and shock absorbers. A fluffy white collar made out of Usapil hides protected his neck and a simple, but thick metal chest piece protected his vitals. A long, green cape finished the ensemble.

"I look like a bandit leader or something…"

"Don't be like that, Shield Boy! It's defensive features are top notch, its easy to move in and it suites you like a T. Hell, I even threw in the Air Wake feature for free!"

"Air Wake. The spell that lightens armor through the use of ambient magic?"

"That's the one."

"Not bad," Naofumi muttered, revaluating his opinion of the Barbarian Armor set. He stretched and rolled his joints, noting that it was much easier to move in than one would initially expect.

"Not only that, but this Barbarian Armor set was made with the express intent of being upgraded in the near future. As soon as you have the necessary materials and funds, you know where to find me and I'll make it even better."

"I will keep that in mind," Naofumi said, accepting the list of materials for future upgrades. He looked it over and scowled. "I should really learn the language of this country," he muttered.

"Probably a good idea, Shield Boy, but I can't help with that," the Old Man said, shrugging. "Now, if I am not mistaken you still have quite a bit of funds left over, right? Want some extra gear for your companions?"

"Of course," Naofumi grunted, stuffing the list in his pocket. "Their equipment right now was a gift from some villagers we helped a bunch a little while back. It's not exactly what I would call top of the line stuff."

"I wouldn't say that," the Old Man murmured, checking over the demi-human's equipment with a focus bellying his experience. "Their Basic Swords aren't anything to write home about, but their Leather Armor is not half bad and is often used to form the base of more elaborate armor sets for people who prefer Speed over Defence."

Naofumi rubbed his chin. "So, your advise would be to sink the rest of our funds in their weapons, then?"

"_Most _of it, yes," the Old Man confirmed. "For 50 pieces of silver I can give you two sets of supplemental armor that you can place over the Leather Armor: Iron Vambraces, Iron Hip guards and Iron Greaves. It will give them an extra layer of protection without sacrificing much of any speed."

Naofumi thought it over for a moment, before nodding his assent. "Seems fine by me," he said, separating 50 pieces of silver of their remaining funds from the pile on the Old Man's counter. "With that, we still have a little over 260 pieces of silver…"

"What would you suggest?" Shirou cut in, with Raphtalia looking interested.

"For 260 pieces of silver? A pair of Magic Steel Swords would probably be best," the Old Man took no time answering, pulling out two polished longswords with simple round guards from the rack behind the counter. "These blades are still pretty basic all things considered, but their attack power is far higher than what you have now and the Blood Clean Coating applied will ensure these blades will last with the minimum of care."

Shirou and Raphtalia accepted the blades as the Old Man handed them over, doing a few test swings and feeling their weight.

Naofumi, seeing that his slaves were satisfied, made his decision. "We'll take them. I would also like to turn in their old weapons if that's an option?"

"No problem. I will give you a good price for them." They made the exchange, leaving them with few pieces of silver remaining, but fully equipped for the coming Wave of Calamity. Speaking of which…

"So, I guess you will be going to the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era next?"

"Heading to the what now?"

The Old Man blinked at Naofumi's perplexed expression, before mentally smacking himself. If Naofumi wasn't aware of the Church of Three Heroes, why did he assume that he would be aware of the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era? "Did no one tell you?"

"Tell me what?" irritation laced Naofumi's words.

"The Hourglass of the Dragon's Era is how we tell when the next Wave is coming," the Old Man said. "It's located in a church at the centre of town. The instant that all the sand has fallen down the Wave will begin and the Heroes and their companions will be teleported to the place where the calamity will take place. Or so I heard, at least."

Naofumi's brow twitched. "Why wasn't I told anything?" he growled.

"Did you ask?" at the silence that followed the Old Man could only release a weary sigh. "Anyway, I'd suggest you go and take a look. If you don't want to get caught with your pants down I'd hurry on over if I were you."

"I will," Naofumi nodded. It was common sense to be aware of when and where you would be placed in danger. So long as you couldn't avoid it entirely, at least. He turned to leave.

"Shield Boy, I know I sound like a broken record crystal, but don't die," the Old Man spoke. "You have been a good customer and I rather like you. So do me a favour, come back in one piece, both you and your kids. It would suck to lose your patronage after having done you so many favours."

Naofumi paused at the door, his feet having stopped just before the threshold leading to the street. The man turned to look over his shoulder and though he didn't look happy, there was a lightening of the permanent shadows around his eyes that made him look much more kind, surprising the Old Man and Shirou and delighting Raphtalia. "Thanks for all the help, Old Man. We'll see you tomorrow. I promise."

And with that, the Shield Hero's party left.

"See you tomorrow!" the Old Man called out after them.

* * *

Shirou, following after Naofumi and with Raphtalia walking by his side, had left the Weapon Shop of the Old Man in a great mood. They were now fully equipped for the coming battle, they'd received valuable information and Naofumi had seemed, if not happy, at least a little bit better. The relieved expression on the man's face was enough to make Shirou feel better as well, but as they walked down the street towards the church, the poorly hidden malice - the whispered insults and looks filled with hostility - were once again making the Shield Hero's face sour into the permanent scowl it had been in since he had first met the man.

Shirou wanted to give all of them a stern talking to, tell them how wrong they were and make them apologize to Naofumi on their hands and knees. He held himself back, but the urge was there and the only reason why he did that was because he knew it wouldn't help and would likely make Naofumi's situation even worse than it already was. Not like they would listen. Still, the injustice of the situation was galling, especially because he couldn't see any way to fix it. And when they arrived at the church, a large and ostentatious building with a massive crest displayed prominently at the front being made up of a sword, spear and bow certainly didn't help.

Naofumi was less than impressed as well, if his grumbling underneath his breath was anything to go by. Still, the man didn't pause in his stride and headed straight through the heavy oaken doors kept open to welcome the faithful, his slaves as ever hot on his heels.

The inside the building was stereotypical of a western church. Pews filled the main chamber from front to back, though precious few people were there to fill them at this late hour. Immense columns of granite, polished to a high sheen, lined the room. The walls were lined with exquisite paintings and stained glass windows that threw beams of light throughout the massive space. A lush red carpet was rolled out over the central path in between the row of pews, and at the end of that path was the one thing they had come for.

The Hourglass of the Dragons' Era. Calling it huge was putting it lightly. It filled the antechamber at the back of the church almost entirely and was easily visible from the front of the church, dominating the space. The Hourglass consisted of several glass chambers filled with red sand, golden metal inlaid with a scale like pattern enveloped and supporting the domineering, but fragile looking structure.

It was an impressive sight, but Shirou was much more focused on something that, to his mind, was of much greater importance. The sand in the top chambers… almost all of it had dropped to the bottom most of the chambers of the Hourglass.

Like the Old Man had said, it was almost time.

As they walked down the carpet towards their destination, they were met halfway by a pair of nuns.

"The Hero of The Shield, I take it?"

The lead nun spoke, voice frigid and posture guarded and radiating hostility. Her fellow nun glared daggers at Naofumi. Again, Shirou was assailed by the desire to do something, anything, to stand up for Naofumi. And again, he held himself back. Making trouble here would not be in his companions best interests, so he kept his peace even as he bristled inside.

"This way."

In spite of their less than warm welcome, the nuns still led them towards the Hourglass when informed of why they were here. They departed as soon as they had done their task, throwing them a final foul glance before leaving.

Shirou felt another stab of fury at the treatment. He suppressed it with difficulty.

As soon as they were in front of the Hourglass, Naofumi suddenly started. The jewel in the centre of his shield flashed once, than went silent again.

"Naofumi-sama?"

Naofumi did not respond to Raptalia's words. He was looking off into space, probably checking some kind of popup in his menu Shirou realized, and had gone pasty white.

The man was muttering to himself, so fast and low Shirou could barely make out the words, but…

"Fuck… only twenty hours…" those words he heard loud and clear, and they made him swallow in an audible fashion.

The Wave was going to hit sooner then Shirou, then any of them, had thought. In less than a day they would find out if their efforts up to this point had been worth it or not. And if they had not… well, than they would all probably die. It was only natural to feel anxiety at such a prospect, even if they had known beforehand it would come to this. Shirou took a deep breath, steadied his heart and took a moment to harden his resolve. It was do or die soon. In other words, soon they would be thrown into the field of battle. Time to see if he really had in him to be hero, like he had promised. It was to be his, _their_, trial by fire.

No pressure, he inwardly joked. It did little to lighten his sudden bout of nerves.

"EW! GROSS! WHAT IS THE CRIMINAL SHIELD HERO DOING HERE!"

Shirou started at the almost obnoxiously loud voice that echoed throughout the antechamber, the high pitch grating to his ears. The three of them turned towards where the shout had come from and his breath hitched at the palpable feeling of malice that suddenly erupted from Naofumi.

"…Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia spoke up hesitantly. "Are these people… friends… of yours...?"

Raphtalia trailed of at the expression on Naofumi's face. It could only be described as haunted, mixed in with a more than fair dose of what could positively described as frothing at the mouth rage.

"Me? A friend of Naofumi? Bah! I would never call a criminal like Naofumi a friend."

Shirou watched as a group of five people haughtily approached them, one male and four female. The three females in the back were barely noticeable, trailing as they were behind the two in the front who took up all his attention. Not so much because they were so much more noticeable, but because their expressions at seeing Naofumi were the most unpleasant he had seen so far.

The male looked disgusted at being in the same room as Naofumi, the female had a sadistic gleam in her eyes. Both of their expression were mixed with scornful disdain, and Shirou found himself immediately disliking them. This in and of itself was a surprise. Usually he could get along with pretty much anybody, but not these two.

The male was decked out in beautiful silver and crimson armor, protecting al his vitals and limbs, the pale shine it exuded donating how expensive it must be. At a glance one could see it had a high Defence rating, even an amateur could tell. The man's skin, what little could be seen, was pale, a trait that was underscored by his light red eyes. His hair, held in a high ponytail, was a vivid blonde. He carried a spear with a white shaft and a gleaming arrowhead shaped spear tip. A gleaming, bright red jewel was set into the base of the spear's blade.

The woman at his side wore equally elaborate armor, inlaid with elaborate carvings and eye catching jewels, that protected her body and highlighted her feminine beauty in equal measure. A pale white cloak that reached her midback hung from her neck and a short sword was sheathed at her side. She had flaming red hair that reached past the small of her back, fair skin and emerald eyes that would've been soothing to look at if not for her scornful expression.

Shirou did not focus on them for long. He couldn't. The very moment he laid eyes on the spear in the male's hands a headache erupted behind his eyes that made him wince in pain. The now familiar rush of information was there, but the information was unclear, garbled, twisted inside and out as it entered his mind. Shirou grabbed the side of his head with one hand as static played across his vision. _What the hell is this? _The information was present in his mind, but he couldn't understand it, and it caused him physical pain to take it in. He had never had this happen before.

"What the hell, Naofumi? What's with that getup? You look like a bandit. It fits you, I suppose…"

The headache ebbed away quickly, but Shirou's scowl did not lessen. The man's words were ripe with disdain and his backhanded compliment did little to endear him to Shirou.

Naofumi did not respond. He didn't turn to look at them, even as man's posse began to hurl abuse at him, saying that he should 'show the bare minimum of curtesy' and 'acknowledge his betters'.

Shirou was about to step in and tell them off, but someone else beat him to it.

Raphtalia, expression fixed and arms spread out to either side as if to form a wall, placed herself between Naofumi and these less than kind strangers. "Excuse me, but would you people mind telling me who you are? And why are you harassing Naofumi-sama?"

"Who is this girl?"

"An adventurer, maybe?"

"What a strange woman, to not know of Motoyasu-sama."

"How cute…"

At the last whispered sentence, there was an awkward pause as everyone looked at the spearman with varying expressions. The man walked up to Raphtalia, heedless or simply ignoring her gobsmacked expression, and took her hands in his own.

"Fine day, milady," the man, Motoyasu, pulled Raphtalia close. "I'm the Hero of the Spear, Kitamaru Motoyasu. Say would you perhaps be willing to save the world alongside me? Please do, I swear I will keep you save the entire way and I'll show you the wonders of the wo-"

A hand planted itself on the Spear Hero's breastplate and gently, but firmly pushed. Surprised, Motoyasu released Raphtalia and took several steps back, blinking for a few moments at the sudden change in his position.

"Excuse me," Shirou said beside Raphtalia, retracting his hand. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't get so needlessly familiar with my companion. I don't know about you, but invading someone's private space like that is rather rude."

"Right," Raphtalia coughed and gathered her wits about her, nodding. "Besides, we are already with Naofumi-sama, so I'll have to decline your offer regardless."

"You're with Naofumi?" Motoyasu repeated, as if he couldn't believe what he'd heard. "That's not a good idea. Do you know what that guy has done, what he's known for? Especially you, milady, will be in constant risk so long as you're around a guy like h-"

Suddenly, Naofumi was in Motoyasu's face, his expression a rictus of fury.

"I dare you," the Shield Hero spat the words out like poison. "To finish that sentence, and I'll-"

"Do what?" Motoyasu asked mockingly, sneering as he cut Naofumi off. "You only have a shield and can't attack. Any threat coming from you is shallow and empty, just like your character. Besides," the man continued, the contempt clear in his voice. "I was saying nothing but the truth."

The girls behind the Spear Hero's back giggled scornfully. The redhead pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue. Naofumi was gritting his teeth so hard that Shirou could hear it clearly over the laughter and giggling of these people he was swiftly coming to detest.

Naofumi was about to lose it, but Shirou wasn't far behind. He just hid it better.

And then he was pushed over the edge.

Motoyasu suddenly grabbed Raphtalia by the hand again. "Come with me, milady. I do not know why you follow that trash, but you will find only suffering by his side. Certainly you have at least heard the rumours? What he has done? I, on the other hand, will treat you like a queen and-"

The Spear Hero continued to wax poetically, once again ignoring Raphtalia's disinterest in his advances and, more importantly, ignoring her slowly building anger. After Motoyasu had finished his spiel, the man smiled and tried to pull Raphtalia in like a prize fish on a hook.

"Forget about the useless Shield Hero an-GUAOH!"

Motoyasu's smug expression was wiped off his face as Shirou's fist suddenly struck his cheek with the force of a wrecking ball and sent him careening towards the ground. The Spear Hero's behind literally rebounded from the ground, so hard did he come down.

The giggling and laughter suddenly stopped. Everyone, including the dumbstruck Motoyasu, stared at the flushed and heaving Shirou with disbelief. The few other people in the church who'd been quietly listening in on the confrontation between Heroes had frozen in place.

Time seemed to have stopped, as if reality itself had to take a moment to realize what had just occurred. The sudden tension could have been cut by a knife but it wasn't further violence that broke the silence. Instead, it was a few simple words.

"I," Shirou whispered, body tense and tail puffed up in anger. "_Really_ don't like you."

The Spear Hero, his companions, the nuns nor the churchgoers got much chance to react, both to the sudden assault and his words. Shirou's actions had given Naofumi the chance to calm down, and he'd realized into what kind of precarious position this might turn into if he didn't act quickly.

"Raphtalia! Shirou!" the man barked. "We're leaving! Follow me!"

The Shield Hero stormed off, his slaves following behind him after a moment of indecision. They vacated the church as quickly as they could, having gotten what they had wanted and leaving behind a pissed off Hero, his peeved companions, scandalized nuns and shocked onlookers.

* * *

Shirou had expected a lot of things after they had left the church and he had managed to calm down. He had expected to be berated, told off for getting physical with a stranger out of petty anger. He had expected some sort of punishment, possible via the use of his Slave Crest. He had expected to be held accountable for whatever consequences his actions might have in future and be told as such by Naofumi. He had expected for something unpleasant to happen in short order.

But what he did not expect was for Naofumi to take them out of Castle Town entirely. Silent as the grave, the man had led them to the rolling, lush green fields just outside of town. Shirou and Raphtalia shared a look, not quite sure what was going on, but silently agreeing that they didn't like it.

"Naofumi-sama…" Raphtalia started.

"Quiet," the Shield Hero ordered and Raphtalia's mouth shut with a click, not because of the Slave Crest enforcing it, but because of Naofumi's tone of voice. His voice had been low, but there was no mistaking the barely hidden rage. "I don't want to talk about."

"No matter what I do all I have is a shield," Naofumi hissed under his breath, making a beeline for the nearest cluster of Balloons. Raphtalia and Shirou drew their swords, but stopped in confusion when Naofumi ordered them to stand down. He was surrounded in short order with Balloons hanging of every limb, his slaves hanging back. He seized one of the Balloons and without a word started wailing on it like a man possessed, as if he was trying to break his knuckles on the Balloon's face.

_Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!_

Naofumi continued to punch the Balloon like until it popped with a satisfying noise, a process that took well over ten minutes. Than he grabbed the next one and continued on punching. Not saying anything, not even pausing for breath, he continued to punch until well over a dozen Balloons had met a similar fate. Even still he continued until he had eradicated every single Balloon in his line of sight and he was heaving for breath between clenched teeth.

Trembling in exhaustion and rage, Naofumi despaired.

It wasn't fair. Here he was, abducted from his home and stuck in this vile world where he couldn't fight back, loathed by everybody for a crime he did not commit and the only people who stood by his side were slaves. Slaves who only aided him because they had no other choice and would no doubt give him the same disgusted look the second they heard the lies about him.

After all, why would they disbelief the stories considering their circumstances? They were his slaves. It didn't matter that they had no choice in helping him even if they hated him. No matter how you looked at it they were not his allies nor his friends. In the end they were nothing more than what their designation in his Menu implied: slaves.

Raphtalia was a girl, the same gender as the one who had betrayed him. If the Slave Crest were ever to be removed she would turn on him the first chance she got. She would probably run into Motoyasu's arms, jeering at him all the way. And Shirou, the justice loving little idiot, would probably do the same, seeing him as little more than a selfish monster that needed to be removed for the "good of society". Never once taking in the fact that said society was the reason why Naofumi could even buy him as a slave in the first place nor the fact that the reason he had to resort to such measures was because of the leaders of said society. He was just as much the victim of this reality as they were, but no one would believe that for a second.

The only outlier was the Old Man, the one person who aided him of his own volition. But one man, no matter how well meaning, could measure up against the contempt of an entire society. Nor could the Old Man do more for him than he was already doing.

Naofumi was well and truly alone in this world. He had known that since the beginning, but the last few weeks of progress had repressed that cruel knowledge, allowing him to push it to the back of his mind in an attempt to stave off his anger and despair. A single confrontation with the bastards to blame for his shitty circumstances had ruined that. Whatever sense of accomplishment and happiness he had managed to achieve in the last few weeks was wiped from his mind, because in the end, in spite of all his efforts, nothing had changed. He was still the useless, criminal Shield Hero who was only fighting to survive, because he simply had no other choice.

Shirou and Raphtalia watched grimly as Naofumi had his freakout. The man hadn't been broken down in tears, but it was a near thing, and all they wanted to do was sooth him. Unfortunately, even though they knew what was wrong and the bad hand he had been dealt, all they could do was stand there and watch, because…

_Quiet. I don't want to talk about it._

… Naofumi's orders, enforced by their Slave Crests flickering beneath their clothes, would not allow them to do so. It had been a general order, but precise enough that it prevented them from speaking about Naofumi's circumstances. Shirou grimaced. He should have ignored the Old Man's advise and gone with his gut, but now that option was closed. He had no other choice and watch the Shield Hero stew in the anguish born of his own mind. If only he could talk to him…

Then again, would Naofumi even believe them? Shirou very much doubted it.

Not that it mattered. Shirou and Raphtalia shared another look. If they couldn't prove their belief in Naofumi with words, their actions would have to speak for them.

It was the only path remaining.


	8. Game On 7

**Sword and Shield**

**Game On 7 **

So, this was it, huh?

Absently stretching his limbs out in preparation and checking his equipment, including the small bag strapped to his side that held a bevy of potion bottles that Naofumi had made for him, Shirou pensively counted down the minutes in his head. It was the day after the confrontation at the church, a little before noon, and it was almost the time Naofumi had said that the Wave would begin.

Shirou would have liked to say he was feeling confident, that he was sure of their survival and success in the coming battle, but the butterflies in his stomach ensured he wouldn't be able to sell that lie with any degree of conviction, not even to himself.

He wasn't the only one feeling the tension. All around him the windows and doors of Castle Town were bolted shut. No civilians were to be seen on the streets, all having locked themselves away in their homes. Squads of knights and adventures patrolled the streets, weapons clutched in white knuckled grips and guards raised. A heavy feeling of fear and anticipation had settled over the city, leaving everyone walking around as if a lead weight had settled in their guts, the knowledge that they might very well die in the next few moments being clear to all.

Shirou took a deep breath and released it slowly, steeling his nerves as he finished checking his equipment. There was nothing for it now. They had prepared as best they could, raising their Levels as much as possible and getting their hands on the best armor and weapons they were able to get.

If they died now, at least it would not be because they hadn't tried their best. It was a cold comfort, but it was better than nothing.

Not that it mattered. They were about to be hurled into a fight with an army of monsters, with who knows how many lives on the line. So long as their – _his _– actions saved a single person, Shirou would be able to die without regret. He knew that, deep down, to be true.

Not once that it dawn on him how twisted that line of thinking really was. To him, it was only natural.

"Shirou."

He looked up to see Raphtalia approaching him. Their party was in a small plaza besides the Inn they always used while they were in Castle Town, the same place where they had played with that ball that Naofumi had bought for them over three weeks ago.

Had it been only a little bit over three weeks since he had been brought to this world for reasons and by means unknown? So much had happened in the past three weeks, with their group constantly striving to get stronger, that it seemed much more time had passed than actually had.

"Raphtalia," Shirou nodded at her as she approached. "Nervous?"

"Of course. You?"

"Definitely," he chuckled weakly.

"I see," weirdly enough, Raphtalia seemed relieved by that.

"Hmm?" Shirou raised his brow at her.

"It's nothing," Raphtalia brushed off. "It's just… both you and Naofumi-sama never seemed to hesitate no matter what the situation while I always have to fight to keep my composure. Even now, Naofumi-sama is just standing there, not looking nervous at all."

Both of them looked over at the Shield Hero, standing alone in the center of the plaza. Indeed, he did not look nervous as he stared blankly ahead, but the proverbial sour cloud over his form, the menacing scowl and the bags underneath his eyes were little better than the constant jitter of nerves most people out on the streets were displaying.

"I'm worried about him," Raphtalia murmured.

"Master has always been carrying a burden with him since we met him," Shirou said. "Recent events have just… made those burdens more easy to see and understand."

"If only we could do something…"

"We can do something," Shirou countered. "We'll just have to prove we're on his side."

"Right," Raphtalia nodded, determined. Shirou nodded back.

Meanwhile, Naofumi had the countdown to the Wave pulled up from his Menu, the game-like box of information floating in front of his face, visible to only him.

[00:17]

Inwardly, Naofumi was just as jittery as Shirou and Raphtalia, but he could barely feel the emotion passed the cloying sense of anger yesterday's confrontation at the church had whipped up in him. The constant rage he had been experiencing made it difficult for him to feel almost anything else, and the more time he spent in this world, it only became worse… and he hated it.

He just wanted to go survive, leave this vile world behind him and go home. And to do that, he would have to face the Waves and pull through in one piece.

"Um, Naofumi-sama...?"

"Have you guys finished preparing?" Naofumi asked duly, not bothering to look over his shoulder at his slaves. He just continued to stare at the slowly counting down timer

"Yes. But Naofumi-sama, may I say something?" Raphtalia asked, sounding resolved.

"…Sure, I don't care."

"…I'll be blunt, Naofumi-sama. Knowing that we're about to face the Wave of Calamity… It fills me with an emotion I can't quite describe."

"Hmm?" Naofumi took his eyes of the timer and turned to look towards his slaves.

"But, what I _am_ sure about and what I want to tell you are the following words: thank you, thank you for everything you have done for me."

Now Naofumi's brow had been raised in clear skepticism.

"I'm so grateful to have met you, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia said, and she meant it. "You've given me a way to live. You've given me the ability to fight back against the Waves of Calamity. It's the most precious gift I can think of, the most precious gift I have ever received."

There was a pregnant pause. Naofumi stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"I would also like to say something," Shirou took over. Naofumi's eyes turned to him. "Master, if nothing else, I'm grateful for the chance to help other people. You've given me the chance to fight in the Wave and protect innocents. For that, I thank you."

Naofumi stared at them both for a long moment. For a moment, both demi-humans saw a light kindle in the Shield Hero's eyes, but a second later it died, snuffed out in an instant. Saying nothing Naofumi turned away from them again.

Shirou and Raphtalia winced inwardly. As they had expected, their words wouldn't reach Naofumi in his current state.

"…I'll be in trouble if both of you die," the dispassionate words drifted on the wind. "So I will do my best to protect you both, but I can't guarantee your survival nor your well-being."

"I, no, _we _are well aware of that," Shirou said, Raphtalia nodded beside him.

"We are your swords, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia declared. "We will stay by your side, always."

"…Yeah? Good luck with that."

Another pause.

"It's almost time. The Wave will begin in the next 2 minutes. Get ready and be prepared for anything."

Shirou's hand fell to his sword, grasping the hilt and preparing to draw. Raphtalia's tensed up and her expression hardened, mentally preparing herself. This was it.

The counter dropped to zero, seen only by the wary gaze of Naofumi, and-

The sound of the world shattering rang out, deafening in its intensity. The world warped, twisted and turned inside out around them, and suddenly, they found they were somewhere else than where they had been moments before.

"This is…"

All three of them recognized where they were instantly. They were in a forest, on a familiar path they had tread dozens of time in the weeks before, Riyute village laying in the distance and the dungeon they had frequented behind them. The sky above was coloured an eerie red, the sun nowhere to be seen. Cracks ran throughout the sky as if it was a mirror that had been smashed. Even as they watched the cracks widened and monsters in uncountable numbers began to swarm out of the holes in reality and toward the forest and village that lay directly beneath the overhead catastrophe.

"There's no way they could have evacuated already...!"

"The village is directly in the path of the rift, and the rift is closer to the village than we are!"

"We have to go help them!"

A trio of shadows dashed past them just as they regained their bearings. Over a dozen and a half of shadows followed in their wake, bearing weapons and armored head to toe.

"It's the other Heroes!" Naofumi realized.

"They are heading directly for the rift!"

"Those shitty bastards… Stop you morons! We need to evacuate the villagers first!"

The only people that had been transported to the Wave were the Heroes and their parties. Besides any adventures that might be within the village limits, the villagers themselves were entirely defenseless. And the vast majority of the people on the scene that could render aid where not even heading towards the village, but instead towards the thick of the action.

"Naofumi-sama!"

A sudden bright light appeared in the sky, shining brightly even in the dark, wine red sky.

"A flare?!" Naofumi growled. "You've got to be shitting me! You're just going to tell the knights and adventures where the Wave is and leave it at that! What are they thinking?!"

Even as he said it, Naofumi already had a pretty good idea what they were thinking. The other Heroes weren't thinking of the people that were in harm's way, no, they were only thinking of killing powerful monsters and taking the credit for it.

_And they have the gall to pass judgment on me? Hah! At least I don't leave people to die!_

"Let's go, Raphtalia, Shirou!" Naofumi shouted and ran towards Riyute village.

Naofumi was indebted to many people in the village. In spite of knowing that he was the Shield Hero, they had still treated him fairly, even if he had to do a good deed or two before they gave him the time of day. He doubted he would be able to live with himself if he turned a blind eye to their plight and left them to die.

* * *

Five minutes later they arrived at the outskirts of Riyute village, and they were presented with a scene that could have come straight out of hell.

Many of the buildings were outright smashed, their straw roofs ablaze and walls crumbling wrecks. Grotesque zombies wearing decrepit armor, spiders the size of a large dog and massive and deformed looking insects of all kinds surged over every surface, destroying everything in their path and chasing down the helpless townspeople. All of it in the backdrop of the blood red sky that dyed the world crimson and gave everything a menacing hue.

Shirou's blood boiled at the sight.

"Shit. Raphtalia! Shirou! Distract the monsters! I'll protect the villagers!"

Shirou didn't bother acknowledging the orders. Instead, he drew his sword and dove into a cluster of zombies chasing down a family of three, sword swinging. In spite of his best efforts to remain calm, fury boiled just underneath his skin at what had been done to Riyute village and its people. That fury gave him strength and in a few quick strokes the zombies died, sliced to pieces.

That quick battle allowed him to vent his anger by quite a bit, but…

"Come at me, you bastards!"

He still shouted words that felt alien to his lips. Not so much because he was truly angry beyond reason, but because he wanted the monsters to focus on him and not on the villagers.

His ploy worked better than he expected. Many of the nearby monsters swivelled towards him, ignoring their previous targets. The few that didn't and continued after their original victims became a target in return for Raphtalia. The people who she couldn't reach in time were shielded by Naofumi, who made liberal use of Air Strike Shield and Shield Prison to protect them and give them a chance to escape the scene.

In spite of his resolve, Shirou would be lying if his heart didn't skip a beat at the sight of several dozen zombies, dog-sized spiders and deformed insects rushing towards him. Still, he stubbornly held his ground, sword beard in front of him.

The monsters struck him like how a wave would break on a rock. They surrounded him in an instant.

There was no time to think. His world devolved into adrenaline and frantic movements that made him feel claustrophobic in the press of bodies. His sword swung all around him without any polished grace, but with more than enough speed and strength to sever flesh like tissue paper, fending of the monsters as best as he was able. Several of them died, but more simply took their place, and quite a few attacks got past his guard and struck home in the chaotic melee.

The monsters roared and screeched in his face, smelling blood and pressing forward.

Shirou made them regret it as a sudden shove and wide slash combo made them tumble back, even as he backhanded one of the annoying flying insects away with his free hand. He hadn't gotten away unscathed, yes, but his armor had done an admirable job of protecting him. The little damage that he had taken wouldn't stagger him.

"Shirou! Get back!" he heard Naofumi shout behind him.

Obeying the order instantly, not like the Slave Crest would give him another choice, Shirou jumped back. A second later he realized why Naofumi had wanted him away from the monsters.

Several potion bottles filled with bright yellow powder smashed to pieces at the feet of the monsters, a bright yellow cloud enveloping the whole group. Static electricity danced over the monster's bodies as the cloud dissipated, the flying insects falling unceremoniously to the ground while the zombies and spiders twitched and staggered in a macabre display.

Shirou reversed course immediately and rushed back towards the monsters, joined a moment later by Raphtalia, their swords swinging together. Together they culled the herd as fast as they were able, getting well over two thirds of them before the Paralyses wore of.

"Air Strike Shield!"

A glimmering green shield manifested behind the monsters, cutting off their retreat.

The zombies roared in their faces, raising their weapons in defiance as they realized they had been trapped. The insects and spiders, immune to fear as they were, attacked without pause.

It did them little good. Another minute passed, and the monsters now laid still on the ground, killed to the last.

"That's the last of them," Raphtalia said, but didn't sheath her sword. There were undoubtedly more monsters in the village up ahead and the cracks in the sky were spilling out more and more monsters by the second.

Meanwhile, Shirou took the time to take out one of his Healing Potions and drink it. He hadn't taken much damage, but it would be best if he returned to full health before diving into battle again.

"Good, let's continue." Naofumi joined them. "Check the houses on the way to the center of the village. If there are any people remaining, direct them towards the forest in the opposite direction of the rift. All the other villagers we just saved are already heading in that direction."

"Yes, Naofumi-sama!"

Their party pressed ahead, Naofumi at the head so that he could defend in case of a sudden attack. They continued to walk, everything falling silent for but a moment, until…

"Ah, stay back! Stay back I say!" a man, wielding nothing more than a pitchfork, was pressed against a wall, a zombie menacing him as it raised its axe in preparation to cleave the man's head in two.

"Air Strike Shield!"

The ethereal shield manifested between the zombie and the man, startling both and saving the man's life. A second later a sword pierced the monster's gut with a horrible squelching sound, before brutally being pulled up and cutting the zombie in twain.

Raphtalia looked down appreciatively at the Magic Steel Sword. Its attack power was everything the Old Man of the weapon shop had said it would be.

"You alright, sir?" she asked, lowering her blade and flicking the blood from it.

"Y-yeah, somehow," the man said, taking a shuddering breath.

Shirou and Naofumi approached, and the man started as he recognized Naofumi.

"The Shield Hero… saved me…?"

"Yeah, I did. What of it?" Naofumi growled.

"N-nothing!" the man said hurriedly, then shook his head. "Never mind that! My family is still in the village, probably at our house. I have to get to them!"

"Don't worry, once we find them we'll direct them to the forest with the other villagers," Shirou assured. "You need to get out of here now before more monsters show up."

"No!" the man vehemently disagreed. "I can't just leave my family behind. I-I'm coming with you!"

"But sir, you'll-" Shirou began to protest.

"We don't have time for this!" Naofumi snapped harshly, cutting them both off. He turned towards the man. "I don't care what you do, but if you're determined to follow us until we find your family, you _will_ follow my orders. Disobey even once are you are on your own, got that? Oh, and if you die, you have no one to blame but yourself, is that clear?"

"Crystal," the man answered, the wavering in his voice abating a little.

"It better be," Naofumi huffed. "I'll protect you as best as I am able during battle, but Raphtalia and Shirou will be doing most of the actual fighting. They can take a few hits, but you can't. Just stay close to them and attack when you think you have an opening."

The man nodded fervently, hefting his pitchfork.

Shirou looked ready to object, but he thought better of it at the man's resolved expression. There would be no talking the man out of following them into the hellscape ahead. Naofumi was right. It'd be better if they didn't waste time on an impossibility.

Again, they continued on ahead towards the village center. They encountered dozens upon dozens of monsters that were roaming the streets and were running down and fighting the villagers and the few beleaguered adventures that were present. After helping them and exterminating the monsters, those villagers and adventurers that didn't leave for the relative safety of the forest in the opposite direction of the rift, mostly those that still had family and/or friends somewhere in the village, joined up with Naofumi's party.

It didn't take long for their group to swell in size from a handful of people, to several dozen.

"Get in formation! Adventures at the front! Civilians in the center!"

Soon, Naofumi corralled his impromptu party members in formation. Nothing extravagant, there was no time for that, but it made logical sense to have their strongest and hardiest fighters in front while the fragile villagers stayed in the center, only jumping in when needed. He, Shirou and Raphtalia, as the strongest combatants by far, made up the vanguard, protecting the weaker adventurers and ensuring that the villagers remained safe in the center.

Resistance continued to thicken, ever more zombies, spiders and insects flowing towards them. Soon, more and more of the adventures at the front were being injured and started to flag under the strain of the continues combat.

Naofumi noticed, and took immediate action.

"You guys, come here!"

The group villagers that he had singled out, the ones that seemed to deal with combat the best amongst the villagers, started, obviously surprised, but they nonetheless listened to what he said and approached as the Shield Hero momentarily fell back from the front.

"Here," he said, taking out nearly all the Healing Potions he had in his satchel and handing them out in even amounts. "The adventures can't keep up with this rate of attrition. We need to give them the time to heal and rest up, but we can't stop moving or we become sitting ducks. I need you guys to work in pairs. One of you needs to briefly take the place of any adventurer that gets injured while the other administers one of these potions. Can I trust you guys with this?"

"We won't fail you, Shield Hero!"

Well, they were enthusiastic at least. Naofumi nodded at them as they handed out the potions and paired up. He quickly returned to the front, and the procession that slowed down with his departure and the loss of his defensive bulwark once again picked up the pace.

The villagers with the potions didn't disappoint. Those adventurers that were injured to the point their combat ability began to suffer fell back under his instruction, a villager taking his place while the other one in the pair took care of the adventurer's injuries before switching back. Their progress towards the village center started to speed up as result, even in spite of the ever increasing hordes they were encountering, now that the adventurers were getting their injuries treated and were given the chance to periodically catch their breath.

This continued until they were almost at the village center, and…

"Master! Look! Up Ahead!"

Naofumi did look ahead, and was the forced to crane his neck back to take in the scene.

Another horde of zombies was approaching, but that had become a familiar sight by this point. What was not a familiar sight, however, was the veritable giant of a zombie at the head of the horde. It was so big, it towered over the nearby buildings that only came up to its waist.

**[Otherworld Zombie Giant Lv: 20]**

Not good. If that goliath got too close, chances are that their formation would scatter. The discord that such a giant could sow during combat, even if they cut it down relatively quickly, would be disastrous if the adventurers and the villagers were not able to keep their cool in the face of such a monster.

Seeing the fear in the people around him at the sight of the giant, Naofumi came to decision.

"Raphtalia! Shirou! Follow me! I'll keep the giant occupied! You two take out the others!"

Naofumi rushed ahead, pausing momentarily to instruct the adventurers and villagers to slow down and not get involved. Shirou and Raphtalia followed on his heels.

The Zombie Giant's roar could be felt in one's bones as they approached and it focused on them. The massive, golden axe in its hands was raised up high and came crashing down.

It's target, Raphtalia, jumped aside and almost stumbled in her run as the axe smashed into the earth hard enough to release a visible tremor.

Realizing that it had missed, the Zombie Giant wrenched its axe free from the ground with a positively savage motion. Roaring like the mad beast that it was, its axe once again was raised high as it was about to attack Raphtalia for a second time.

"Hey, over here, ugly!"

The shout drew its attention, and the Zombie Giant turned said attention towards the quickly approaching Naofumi. The Zombie Giant, figuring that the one heading towards it instead of the one running away from it was a juicer target, reared its axe back and swung for Naofumi.

"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi intoned, and the ethereal shield once again manifested in front of him.

The massive, golden axe slammed home with all of the force of a speeding truck, and the shield resonated like a gong that had been struck. But it did not buckle even as the axe was reared back and struck the shield several times in quick succession.

Naofumi smirked and reached into his satchel.

With the sixth blow a crack appeared in the shield, one that turned into a spiderweb of cracks on the seventh blow. The axe swung back for an eight and final blow, but-

A potion bottle smashed into the Zombie Giant's face, having arched over the shield's protective envelope. The bright blue powder that was the bottle's content glowed and exploded into a sudden mass of ice that covered the Zombie Giant's head whole.

The Zombie Giant roared once again, but the sound was barely audible past the ice. The axe dropped from its hands and the Zombie Giant started to frantically claw at the ice, tearing entire chunks off, even as it stumbled back in its panic.

"Shield Prison!" Naofumi shouted as he saw an opportunity.

The spherical prison of shields manifested just behind the Zombie Giant, who tripped over it as it continued to back up. With a mighty crash, the monster fell onto its back, kicking up a curtain of dust and leaving it vulnerable on the ground.

Raphtalia, having finished of the dozen zombies she had been tangling with, leaped onto the Zombie Giant's fallen form. Her Magic Steel Sword stabbed down, piercing the rotten flesh of the goliath's throat with a sick sound.

The Zombie Giant gurgled and sluggishly reached up to tear her away.

Raphtalia jumped to the side, falling down towards the ground and, keeping her sword pierced into the monster's flesh, tore open a massive gash in the Zombie Giant's throat on her way to the ground. She landed, out of reach of the Zombie Giant, twisted her blade and pulled it free with a squelch.

The Zombie Giant, a foul brown ichor that could have been blood streaming down its throat, gurgled like the dead corpse that it was as it scrambled to get back up on its feet.

Raphtalia's blade piercing its knee kept it on the ground. Shirou's sword piercing its head from behind put it down for good.

Naofumi let out a breath, noting that his slaves had dispatched the horde that had been following in the Zombie Giant's wake. For the first time in a while, the street was empty of monsters

"The path ahead is clear! Form back up and move forward! We're almost at the village center!"

The procession of adventurers and villagers caught up with them, all of them giving their party looks of awe. Naofumi didn't notice and took his place in the vanguard again, flanked by his slaves.

They forged ahead, but encountered conspicuously few monsters compared to before. Finally, they reached the village center, and they'd realized why there were so few monsters on the final stretch.

The street ahead had been barricaded. Furniture, broken stone from homes and general detritus was piled high to make a makeshift bulwark against the encroaching horde. Monsters tried to climb their way up the barricade, only to be barred by the villagers on top of the barricade that frantically warded them away with pitchforks and other makeshift weapons, keeping the monsters from scaling the barricade and reaching the other side.

The weary villagers atop the barricade noticed their approach, and even from a distance one could see their eyes light up with hope.

"Attack!" Naofumi hollered.

Before the monsters trying to scale the barrier could even properly turn around, the vanguard of the adventurers crashed into the horde. The battle degraded into a chaotic melee, the adventurers, backed up both by the villagers they were protecting and the villagers atop the barricade, targeted the monsters and took them out piecemeal. Naofumi one again made liberal use of his skills, Air Strike Shields and Shield Prisons manifesting to protect vulnerable combatants. Shirou and Raphtalia cut a swat through the horde, their Attack Stat great enough to one shot most opponents.

It didn't take long for the battle to end in Naofumi's and his group's favor. The villagers atop the barricade didn't waste any time, catching their breath and gratefully helping their would be saviors over the barricade.

Naofumi winced, not quite sure what to feel as one of the villagers atop the barricade clapped him on the shoulder and thanked him profusely.

They clambered down into the village center, and…

"It looks like the entire village is here."

Indeed it did. The village center was in one word crowded. Even without counting their group, dozens upon dozens of people were present, perhaps totaling over a hundred. The streets leading to the village center were barricaded, and Naofumi got the distinct impression that some of the buildings had been deliberately collapsed to create the makeshift bulwarks. In the center of the plaza were children and people too old to fight, while men and women manned the barricades and warded off the monsters trying to swarm in.

More than a few of the weary faces of the people lit up as their group made their way into the impromptu safe area. There were more than a few reunions, the people relieved to see loved ones and friends they had been fearing for as they clasped their hands and hugged. Naofumi, meanwhile, directed the villagers he had been protecting to join the other non-combatants, even as the adventurers they had teamed up with quickly manned the barricades, giving the people there some much needed support.

"Naofumi! Man, you are sight for sore eyes!"

Naofumi's eyes lit up with recognition instantly. "Zeph! Are you leading things here?!"

The brown haired youth approached, his little sister Nina hot on his heels. "More or less, though I have been more busy with treating the injured," he said, then shook his head. "Can you tell me what things look like in the direction you come from? We're working on an exit strategy."

"Hey, everyone!" Nina greeted them, her happy response totally at odds with the situation.

Naofumi nodded at her, even as Shirou and Raphtalia looked clearly relieved to see that she was safe. Apparently, from what he could gather, the girl had been helping her older brother in administering potions and treating the injured.

"The direction we came from is mostly clear, for now," Naofumi answered quickly. "We exterminated all the monsters we encountered, and the people we met along the way either fled into the forest or joined us on the way here. I do not think there are any people remaining in that direction, but as long as the rift remains upon, it will only be question of time before that path becomes dangerous again."

"I was afraid of that," Zeph responded, biting down on his thumb in frustration. "The monsters just keep spawning in greater numbers and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. At least we won't have to send search parties to the eastern path now that you guys have already cleared out that area. Most of the adventurers that we managed to round up are currently searching for anyone that might still be in the western part of the village. They should be back soon, as Alfyn is leading them."

Naofumi nodded at that. It made sense. Alfyn knew Riyute Village like the back of his hand, and was surprisingly strong for an Apothecary.

"Have any of the other parts of the village been searched yet?"

"No," Zeph answered.

"So that leaves both the south and north areas," Naofumi said.

"And the rift is towards the south…" Shirou added.

"If we were to clear out the southern area of the village first," Raphtalia took the thought further.

"We can then break out towards the north in one large group, away from the rift!" Zeph realized, a grin appearing on his face. "With all our people in one area it wouldn't be too difficult to both protect the villagers while the adventurers search for more people in the meantime. Naofumi, can-"

"We'll go search the south," Naofumi declared, raising his shield. "Can I trust you guys to hold down the fort here?"

After a determined affirmative from Zeph, they quickly rounded up a dozen adventurers and battle ready villagers. Any excess potions they had on them were quickly distributed amongst them.

"You all know the plan," Naofumi barked, glaring like a drill sergeant at the men and woman in front of him. "Stay in formation! Kill any monster you see! Search every house! Fall back if you're injured, use your Healing Potions and return to your position as fast as you can! Once we have finished searching the southern area of the village, we will double time our way back and make our escape!"

A chorus of affirmatives answered his words. With that, their group clambered over the southern barricade and leaped back into the fray.

* * *

Time wore on ever so slowly, to the point that a single minute felt like hours to the people trapped in what amounted to a waking nightmare. The sky remained a menacing red mess that hurt to look at and belched out more and more monsters by the second. The defenders manning the barricades continued to ward off the encroaching monsters, even as the villagers of Riyute Village were busying themselves with treating the injured and preparing themselves for the final push. In spite of that, all of them were acutely aware that their Healing Potions were dwindling and that time was ticking.

To put it bluntly, the wait for Naofumi's group to return was starting to fray the people's nerves, and every second it became worse.

"Where are they?" Zeph fretted.

"Calm down, Zeph! By what you've told, they have been gone for less than twenty minutes," Alfyn assured, pulling a bandage taut around his own arm by pulling on it with his teeth and applying a bit of pressure with his free hand.

Alfyn and his group had returned ten minutes ago, bringing back another couple dozen people. Together with Zeph, he had corralled the people of Riyute Village and had them ready to set out the very second Naofumi and his group returned.

"I know that, Alfyn, but we can't keep this up forever! When our Healing Potions run out, we'll start to lose ground and quick at that. The adventurers are starting lose steam, and we don't know for how long the villagers can keep their cool. At this ra-"

"Hey, they're back!" one of the men stationed at the southern barricade shouted, to the visible relief of the people.

Alfyn clapped his friend on the shoulder and grinned cheekily. "See, you're worrying for nothing, just like always!"

Zeph huffed petulantly, but didn't bother hiding his relief.

Naofumi's group entered the safe zone, several dozen people following on their heels. The infirm, old and the young were carried over, all of them being welcomed warmly.

"Hey, Naofumi! Raphtalia! Shirou! Good to see you guys!" Alfyn greeted, waving them over.

"Alfyn!" Raphtalia greeted back, rushing over. Naofumi and Shirou followed.

"What's the situation? How is everyone holding up?" Naofumi didn't bother with pleasantries.

"The barricades haven't been breached, so everyone's fine, and now that you are here, we can leave immediately," Zeph assured.

There was little to no need for words after that. They made their way toward the northern barricade as the people of Riyute Village and the adventurers fell into formation. The children, old and infirm were in the center. Every able-bodied villager formed a circle around them. The adventurers created a protective cordon around the civilians. And Naofumi, Shirou, Raphtalia, Zeph and Alfyn formed the vanguard.

At the front, Naofumi looked over the gathered people, and nodded.

"Let's go."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Alfyn said, then turned to one of the adventurers. "Chrome, you're up!"

The young man stepped forward and calmly raised his hands, aiming for the northern barricade, and intoned, "Zweit Fire!" Like the name of the spell implied, fire erupted from the young man's palms and surged forward in a continues stream like a bull that had been cut loose. It crashed into the barricade with explosive force, burning and blasting away the debris that had kept them safe for the last hour. The monsters that even now had been trying to scale it were scattered by the explosion and, more importantly, said explosion had opened up a straight path to safety.

"Forward!"

The procession started forward not in a rushed, panicked scramble for safety, but in a deliberate and controlled fashion. Soon, they had left the village center behind.

Monsters made a mad dash towards them the moment they emerged in the open street. There were much more monsters than one would have expected since they were moving away from their spawning grounds. Still, said monsters did little more than break on their formation, so much so in fact that it made both Shirou and Naofumi think of barbarians throwing themselves upon the waiting blades of a disciplined and well-practiced Roman testudo formation.

They cut their way through the horde, forging ahead, even as resistance thickened.

"Air Strike Shield! Shield Prison!" Naofumi activated his skills, manifesting them a little further ahead and on either side of the road.

These obstacles, that were for all intents and purposes impossible to destroy for the trash mobs they were faced with, restricted the monster's avenues of approach, funneling them towards the strongest part of their formation. In other words, it funneled the monsters towards Naofumi, Shirou, Raphtalia, Zeph and Alfyn, who quickly and efficiently cut the monsters down. This gave the adventurers and the villagers a chance to catch their breath, treat a few of the injuries that had been sustained, and then forge ahead with renewed vigor.

They didn't quicken their pace much, though. They had to give the groups designated with the task of searching the buildings and the various side streets the time necessary to find any would be survivors. This slowed them down considerably, but they never stopped moving, and well over three dozen people were found hiding in their homes and/or tangling with the monsters out on the streets. These people were quickly secured and brought back to the main group.

This continued, and a few minutes later…

"There, I can see the forest!" Shirou shouted. "We're almost there!"

"You hear that everyone! Just a little bit more!" Alfyn encouraged the procession.

"Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia called, raccoon ears twitching. "I hear something coming from that direction."

"More monsters?" Naofumi wondered, raising his shield a little higher.

"I don't think so, I-wait," Raphtalia's eyes widened in alarm, something horrible reflected in her eyes. "Incoming!"

Naofumi's attention snapped forward, and his heart skipped a beat at the sound of an ominous snap hiss mixed with a sound similar to fireworks ascending, followed by a deafening roar reminiscent of a gas line rupturing and exploding. Time seemed to slow down, the hissing and snarling of the monsters in the street falling away in the roaring noise as Naofumi spotted a sudden rush of light and heat in the distance that grew so bright so quick that…!

"Shit!" Naofumi swore and dashed in front of the procession, ignoring the startled cries of panic and fear of the people, and quickly changed his shield into the Light Metal Shield.

A mass of fire and force roiled down the street like a runaway truck, the heat so great that the ground underneath it turned black from mere proximity. It moved at bullet speed, almost too fast for Naofumi to change his shield and raise it up in front of him, and struck him with such force that it felt like a horse had kicked him in the stomach.

Naofumi gritted his teeth, but in spite of the awesome force his body was being subjected to, he stubbornly held his ground. The Special Ability of the Light Metal Shield was Magic Nullification (medium). This spell, for what else could it be, was an order of magnitude more powerful than the Zweit Fire spell he had seen used just minutes before, but the Magic Nullification (medium) combined with his Defence Stat ensured that he could take it head on without taking any damage.

The heat pounded his body like a drum for well over a minute, sweat erupting from every pore of his body, his breath coming his short, quick pants as his body tried to expel the heat. Finally, mercifully, it ended, leaving a gasping Naofumi behind, scared but unharmed people behind him, and the street clear of any monsters, the spell having incinerated them to the last.

Naofumi did not want to imagine what would have happened had he not reacted in time.

"What," he gasped for air, "the _fuck_ was that!"

"Naofumi-sama! Are you alright?!" Raphtalia came running, clearly concerned.

"Somehow," Naofumi answered, still struggling for breath.

"Was that an attack from a monster?" Zeph wondered behind them. Behind him the adventurers and the villagers were preparing themselves for the worst.

"No," Shirou answered grimly, a note of fury in his voice, walking forward to stand beside Naofumi and Raphtalia. "Worse."

"Hmm," a self-satisfied voice chuckled past the flames. "For a filthy demi-human, you have got sharp eyes. I'll give you that much."

The dregs of the flames the spell had left behind parted, several squads of knights entering Riyute Village, their full plate armor protecting them from the flames. One of the knights, decked out in a much more elaborate armor set and clearly the one in charge, sneered at them.

Or, to be more precise, at Naofumi.

"And your eyes are clearly defective!" Naofumi snapped back, his scowl becoming menacing. "What the hell were you thinking, launching such a spell near allies!"

"Allies! Hah! Like I would ever call a common criminal like you my ally!" the knight turned his head and spat on the ground.

"So you didn't care that we were here," Naofumi growled.

"You…" Raphtalia seemed lost for words, seething and bearing her blade at the knights, and only Shirou's hand on her wrist prevented her from flying down the street and chopping the lead knight's head off.

"Raphtalia, don't," Shirou said, though it should be noted that all his muscles were tensing something fierce. He was barely able to hold himself back from attacking the knights himself. "We need to get everyone to safety. We can't afford to get into fights we can avoid."

Raphtalia looked like she was about to object, but grudgingly lowered her blade.

"That's right," the lead knight leered at them. "So long as you lot behave we won't be forced to make any… mistakes."

That confirmed it. The monsters hadn't been the target, they were just collateral damage. Naofumi had been.

"You sick fuck!" the sudden shout startled nearly everybody. Zeph was seething, and most of the people of Riyute Village were little better. "Just to settle some pointless grudge… you tried to kill all of us! What about the people caught in the crossfire, huh?! Or didn't you even notice the people we are evacuating, who are right behind us?! What the hell kind of knights are you!"

It was only then that the knights seemed to notice the large mass of people behind the vanguard and the adventurers, the people of Riyute Village glaring venomously back at them. To their credit, the knights had gone deathly pale in the face at the realization of what they'd almost done, if it were not for Naofumi blocking their sudden attack. Even the eyes of the lead knight had widened a fraction.

"It doesn't matter what you were thinking," Naofumi snarled, a wicked smirk appearing on his face. "After all, the thoughts and opinions of someone that's about to become monster feed doesn't really matter much, now does it?"

A cacophony of roars echoed from behind the knights, monsters having spawned in greater numbers in the time they'd been wasting. The monsters had somehow approached the knights quietly from behind and, distracted as they had been, the knights had not noticed the horde of monsters swelling behind them. As the knights snapped around, it became painfully apparent that they were out of position and unprepared, the monsters having gotten the drop on them and giving them virtually no time to react.

In a battle like the Wave that might as well be a death sentence.

The axe of one of the zombies came in swinging, destined to fall between the stunned and horrified eyes of the lead knight.

"Air Strike Shield!"

Only destiny was averted by the appearance of an ethereal shield, taking the heavy swing without a scratch.

"Wah!" the lead knight, stunned at his survival, fell on his ass in a less than dignified display.

Shirou speared forward, using the Air Strike Shield as a spring board to launch himself into the horde, Raphtalia hot on his heels. Potion bottles arched over the knights, breaking on impact with the charging monsters, the yellow powder contained within erupting and Paralyzing whole swats of them and stopping them in their tracks, making them easy pickings for the pair of demi-humans.

"Zweit Fire!" "Zweit Water Shot!"

Those precious few adventurers capable of magic launched their spells into the horde, killing a few and scattering many more.

"Forward!" Alfyn ordered, and the procession continued its advance.

"We will buy you time!" Shirou shouted, clashing blades with one of the grotesque zombies. "Use it to get into formation!"

The lead knight snarled, getting back onto his feet in a huff, his face red in both embarrassment and rage. It was only to be expected. The object of his hatred had not just only saved his life, but the demi-humans he commanded were putting up a much better fight than his own subordinates. If one could die from outrage, the lead knight would definitely have managed it in that moment.

"Let the Shield handle the evacuation!" he spat. "We're going to aid the Three Heroes!"

Most of the knights heeded the order, much to the disgust of the people they were leaving to fend for themselves, but... not all of the knights did so. One of them, a scarred man with a battle hardened face, a captain, pointed his blade at the horde.

"Support the Shield Hero! Defend the villagers and aid the adventurers! Phalanx formation!"

The vast majority of the knights left, but three squads and the captain staid behind. They formed up with the adventurers and the villagers of Riyute Village, shields raised and swords sliding out of their sheaths. They would be the battering-ram that would see the people to safety.

"Charge!"

The aid was happily accepted, even in spite of the earlier altercation. With several more experienced combatants to help them, it didn't take long for them to breach the horde and reach the forest.

That, unfortunately, didn't mean that the battle was over, or that the people were safe. Red glowing eyes pierced out from the gloom of the forest, the monsters spawned by the Wave having long since infested it.

Fortunately, they had expected this and planned ahead.

The formation split up. The villagers remained in one large group and most of the adventurers staid with them. It would be their job to see the villagers to safety and escort them through the forest to the nearest settlement, Castle Town, where they would be safe and have a chance to rest.

The rest, the knights included, launched attacks into the forest, mostly arrows and a few spells, targeting the monsters and thinning the horde as much as possible and clearing the way forward.

"Naofumi, all luck to you and your kids! First drink is on me when this is over!" Alfyn shouted, at the head of the procession rushing into the forest.

Naofumi grunted, not bothering to reply as more words of thanks were shouted at him by the townspeople. Not like they would have been able to hear him reliably over the din of battle and the sounds of the encroaching monsters.

That said, the monsters did not slow the departing group down much, if at all. There were quite a lot of monsters in the forest, yes, but not anywhere near the amount there had been in the village itself. Even without Naofumi, Shirou, Raphtalia, a handful of adventurers that chose to stay behind and the knights, they should have no problem keeping the villagers safe on their way to Castle Town.

That meant that the first part of their battle was finished. The next part, though…

Naofumi turned back towards the village, shield raised, flanked by both Shirou and Raphtalia. Behind them, the knights and adventurers readied themselves. A few whispered words of power and an invisible line was laid near the edge of the forest that, once crossed, would alert them if a monster tried to attack them in the back.

Now that the villagers were safe, they had to keep the encroaching monsters back, the destruction of the Wave in other words. Any monster they did not kill right here at the root of the disaster would be left free to disappear into the countryside and wreak havoc elsewhere, just like the Otherworld Blotted Viper and the Otherworld Two Headed Dog had been. That said, there was no way that they could kill all of the monsters spawned by the Wave. It was safe to say that a good percentage of them would escape, but every monster killed was a potential disaster averted.

The question now was how long the Wave would continue. The other Heroes had rushed towards the focal point of the rift that was spawning the monsters. As much as it galled Naofumi, he now had no other choice but to trust them to somehow stop the Wave and close the rift, preventing more monsters from being spawned. If they failed, or took too long and their Healing Potions and stamina, which had already been used up by a large degree, started to run low, he would have no other choice but to abandon the fight.

All of those grim thoughts flashed through Naofumi's mind as he braced himself and monsters surged forth from Riyute Village like ants from a disturbed anthill. He wasn't sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but there appeared to be more monsters now than in any point before in the Wave.

Then the monsters were upon them once again and there was no more time to think. Whatever were to happen in the next few moments, victory or ignominious defeat, he would survive, no matter what.

* * *

Shirou panted for breath, his body covered in both sweat and blood, both his own and that of his enemies. His blade was slick with the life giving liquid. Monsters laid around him, slain in their dozens, and his allies, the adventurers, the knights, and his party members were in a similar state of exhaustion and weariness.

Above them, the sky remained a red, cracked mess.

By his count, it had been well over thirty minutes since the villagers had departed with their escort. Just like him, exhaustion was plain to see on everyone's faces and movements. Their Healing Potions were also starting to run low. If something didn't change soon, they would have to do something that he knew would be necessary, but would leave a foul taste in his mouth: retreat.

There was nothing they could do, though. If all of them died, none of them would be any help in the next Wave, and-

Shirou felt something that could only be called a pulse of some kind of force pass through him, the air stilling, and everyone around him, the monsters included, paused.

"Naofumi-sama! Shirou!" Raphtalia said, looking up breathlessly. "The sky is returning to normal."

Indeed it was. The menacing red hue had already disappeared, returning to an ordinary blue sky, and the cracks were sealing themselves back up. In a few seconds, the sky would be back to normal.

"Stay on your guard!" Naofumi snapped even as he breathed hard himself. "This place is still teeming with monsters."

That was also true. Even though the Wave had been stopped, the monsters spawned by it didn't just disappear. Said monsters had stopped briefly with the Wave's end, but they'd already started moving again, clearly intent on continuing the fight.

"Stay strong men!" the knight captain called out. "The Wave has ended, no more monsters will be spawning. Every monsters we now kill will decrease the overall host of our enemy. Now we just need to outlast them!"

The knights and adventurers visibly rallied before their eyes, raising their weapons and throwing themselves back into the fight with renewed gusto. Shirou grinned to himself. Seeing that, he had no other choice but to get a second wind himself.

His Magic Steel Sword rose and fell as if he had only just begun fighting, felling monsters with every swing. He and Raphtalia led the charge back into Riyute Village, supported by the adventurers and knights, Naofumi making liberal use of his skills and his insane Defence Stat to ensure that everyone walked away from the fight in one piece.

* * *

It took another good half an hour of fighting before the last monster fell, the rest having long since retreated or been killed. For the first time in hours, the surroundings of Riyute Village fell silent, almost oppressively so for the people remaining on the former battlefield and who had been fighting for their lives.

For a brief moment, Shirou felt elated like he never had before as he lowered his blade and ragged cheers erupted from the adventurers and knights. They had done it. The Wave had been stopped and the encroaching monsters had been mostly eliminated. And, most importantly, as far as he knew, there were minimal, if any casualties on their side. Be they combatant or civilians caught up in the disaster, the vast majority of them had survived.

Reality came crashing back down a moment later as he looked around, Shirou's expression becoming grim. The people may have survived, but their home, Riyute Village, had been wrecked. There were no buildings that didn't show damage. Hell, a few of them were burning even now. Hundreds of monster corpses were strewn across the village and beyond. The roads were, in a word, reduced to Swiss cheese, and the farmlands around the village had, while not entirely spoiled, lost a lot of the crops that had been growing. It was unlikely that the villager's would be able to get much produce from these farmlands this season.

The people had survived, yes, but their homes and livelihoods had taken a hit, a substantial one at that. Would they be able to make a living and support themselves in the future? How about when winter came? This was a medieval world in many ways after all. Did they have enough resources to make it through the year and survive?

Shirou shook his head. It was no use pondering that now, even if it remained stuck in the back of his mind. They had won, and that was worth something.

"Shirou," Raphtalia nodded at him, returning from where she had been tangling with the last few of the monsters. Her expression appeared brittle, shadows covering her eyes.

"Raphtalia…?" he questioned, immediately concerned.

"…Everything alright?" Shirou heard from behind him. Naofumi had come to join them.

Raphtalia didn't say anything. Instead, she reached out and took Shirou's hand in her own, squeezing it tight. Shirou's concern spiked further. After they "grew up" from the effects of Levelling, they had stopped holding hands like they often had when they were first bought by Naofumi. It was not really appropriate to do anymore now that they had adult bodies, but…

"I… did good, right?" Raphtalia whispered, her voice shaking. "I limited the amount of children that might become like me, didn't I?"

"…Yeah," Naofumi reached out and patted her head. Shirou squeezed her hand in a comforting manner. "You did well."

Raphtalia's tears, her happy tears, rolled down her cheeks.


	9. Game On 8

**Before starting this chapter, I'd like to make a few comments.**

**I do take the time to read the reviews I receive, and I like to thank anyone who has reviewed my story and given legitimate criticism. That said, I would also like to clarify a few things that have been repeatedly mentioned in said reviews. **

**I received multiple comments about the fact that my story, as if this moment, is more a "rehash" than anything else and that Shirou doesn't have anywhere near the presence that he should.**

**Yeah, that's true, and it's kind of meant to be that way. **

**We're only at only the first arc of the story, one that was and is fundamental to set the foundation for the story surrounding the Shield Hero. As of now, Naofumi's actions are the driving force of the story, with him holding all decision making power in the central group.**

**As of now, Shirou is a slave, and it's not like Naofumi would have changed things for Shirou's sake or solely at his advice. For minor things? Maybe. Major things? Definitely not. Naofumi is the one calling the shots, and because his starting point and central conflict haven't changed, beside the fact that he has an extra slave to act as his attacker, not much has diverged yet. **

**How would Shirou have introduced changes? He's a slave, so he has no autonomy. Naofumi isn't really in a right state of mind. And Shirou has just as much knowledge about this world as Naofumi. **

**Of course, if this was post Holy Grail War Shirou, he would have had more than enough power to force changes to occur. But this isn't that Shirou. This is a 12 year old kid Shirou that has been thrown into another world with no prior experience in… anything of value, really, and he can barely perform any Magecraft at all. He doesn't have much choice but to go along with Naofumi's whims. Whims that were up till now the same as in canon, because he is working with the same knowledge in the same situation. He just has one additional attacker in his party. **

**Oh, and by the way, for the people asking why Shirou doesn't use Rule Breaker to free himself, here is your answer: he doesn't have it. This is a 12 year old pre Holy Grail War Shirou. Shirou and his age are mentioned in the summary and the first chapter where he mentions that Kiritsugu has been dead for 2 years. And Kiritusgu died when Shirou was 10, so…**

**That is one of the reasons why Shirou has been more a side character than anything else till now. The focus in the first arc is on Naofumi and his trials, with Shirou playing the role of a side character and only introducing very minor, if any, changes, because he simply is not in a position, nor has the power or the knowledge to make any sweeping changes. **

**Besides that, there's also been mention that there's no excuse why Shirou hasn't told Naofumi that he is also from another world. That Naofumi would be horrified to learn that someone that came from a world like his own was his slave. And lastly, the only reason why isn't horrified with having Raphtalia as a slave is because ****demi-humans in this world present a token perception that slavery can be accepted to Naofumi so long as he doesn't abuse his demi-human slave****. **

**I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Naofumi's central goal in buying a slave was to grow strong enough to survive the Waves, because he could trust no other persons to act as his attacker without stabbing him in the back. Considering his less than healthy state of mind in this part of the story, he definitely would have used any slave he could have gotten his hands on. **

**It is made abundantly clear in the light novels that he isn't cruel to Raphtalia, but that he does not really care for her either at first. At that point, he treats her more like a tool than anything else. A valuable tool that is necessary for his own survival and needs to be looked after both mentally and physically in order to maximize her combat capability, yes, but still just a tool. He wouldn't have given two shits where that tool, that slave, was from or what they thought about being a tool or a slave. He just wanted to survive and go home, and he was willing and able to do almost anything to achieve that goal. The thoughts and opinions of others be damned. **

**After the first book/arc when Naofumi is a lot more open minded and not nearly as depressed, maybe that argument would stick. But as of now? No, I don't think so. **

**As for Shirou having no excuse for not telling Naofumi that he came from another world, simply because Naofumi also came from another world? I don't really follow that line of logic. It's not like that knowledge would have been in any way useful for Naofumi, nor would revealing that information serve a purpose for Shirou. In my opinion, Naofumi wouldn't act any different knowing that Shirou is from a world like his own. Even if it would be pretty easy to prove with a question and answer session, that knowledge would change nothing in the grand scheme of things.**

**Shirou will come clean with his otherworldly origins very soon as he has no real reason to hide it, but as I said, I'm also of the opinion he had no real reason to divulge it either.**

**Besides that, th****ings will start to diverge… soonish. There will be an intermediate arc (with only a handful of chapters) after the closing of the first arc with this chapter. This intermediate arc will, again, only have fairly minor changes, but the arc after that will diverge from canon rather radically, with a few important characters from the canon storyline being introduced, even as the goal/direction of the main cast will take them out of Melromarc much earlier than in canon. **

**As a final note, I would also like to say this: I write mostly for my own enjoyment. I don't care if some people don't like my story or think that it's "safe" and/or "unrealistic". That's your opinion, and I do appreciate the honest criticism, but I'm just telling a story I like to tell, and everyone else is along for the ride because they want to. This is fanfiction after all. **

**Anyway, I just wanted that of my chest. On to the chapter. **

* * *

**Sword and Shield **

**Game On 8**

The bell of the shop jangled merrily, announcing their entrance. The door slammed shut behind them a moment later.

"Welcome to Erha- Ah! Shield Boy! Kids! I see you made it through in one piece, huh?"

The Old Man grinned at them from behind the counter, his bald head gleaming in the early morning sunlight streaming in through the window.

"We did," Naofumi said, deadpan. Talk about saying the obvious…

"We decided to swing by and assure you that we are fine," Raphtalia said brightly.

"Also, we wanted to thank you for the weapons and armor," Shirou added, patting the pommel of his Magic Steel Sword. "These really helped out a bunch during the Wave."

"Of course they did. My wares never disappoint," the Old Man boasted, clearly in a good mood. Then he calmed down a little. "Anyway, what brings you back to Castle Town? I was under the impression that you guys would immediately set out again after the Wave. I can't imagine there would be a good reason to return here… unless you guys just missed my face and winning personality?"

"As if," Naofumi snorted, the barest hint of amusement on his features. "There's a banquet to be held at the castle tonight in order to celebrate the successful defeat of the Wave and the Heroes will get a cash reward for our contributions. After we've gotten that cash, we'll be splitting town again."

"So you came back for some money and not me? I'm hurt, Shield Boy," the Old Man teased, not at all bothered. "… Now that you guys are here might I ask you something? I have heard a lot of stories and rumours, but what are the Waves actually like?"

"Why do you want to know? Thinking of fighting in one of the future Waves?" Naofumi asked, raising an eyebrow. The Old Man was extremely well-built and his body, what little they could see, had more than a few scars. It wasn't a stretch to believe that the Old Man was an accomplished fighter.

"Maybe. The thought has crossed my mind," the Old Man said, shrugging, clearly not committing to anything.

Naofumi didn't seem to care either way. Shirou and Raphtalia traded glances, before shrugging and regaling the Old Man the tale of their battle and the Wave.

* * *

"Heroes!" the King boomed from the balcony overlooking the banquet hall, hefting a crystal glass filled with blood red wine in a celebratory toast. "I cannot contain my surprise at the sheer difference in the loss of life and damages compared to the first Wave! You did well, and the fruits of your journeys speak for themselves! Tonight, we feast! Eat! Drink! And make merry! For tomorrow you and your parties will set out again to gain more strength and fulfil your role as Heroes during the next Wave even better! Enjoy yourselves!"

Night had fallen and the banquet had finally begun. The hall the banquet was being held in was wide and exceptionally tall, the ceiling suspended many feet over their heads. Tables were placed throughout the hall, tastefully decorated with silken sheets and flowers, noblemen and noblewomen dressed in expensive looking suits and elaborate dresses spread out in the wide space. The Spear, Sword, and Bow Heroes and their parties were in the center of the celebrations, taking their fill of the exceptional food and talking with important dignitaries. Soldiers were placed throughout the room in strategic positions, but remained fairly inconspicuous and unobtrusive.

Naofumi and his party had found a semi-hidden alcove where they could enjoy the food and quiet. Whenever Naofumi was spotted, the nobles would whisper between themselves and give him dirty looks, causing Naofumi's temper to flare, so he wanted to be as far away from them as possible. He had no wish to socialize with these highborn gullible idiots, not like he could, or even really wanted to be here in the first place. The only reason he was here was for the cash reward. After he had gotten what he had come for, they would be splitting immediately. There was no reason to subject himself to more abuse than was necessary.

The treatment Shirou and Raphtalia received was little better. They were the only demi-humans in attendance, and the reason why was obvious. Racial epitaphs were thrown around whenever either of them came close to one of the nobles, their sharp ears allowing them to hear the whispered words. There clearly was no love lost between the upper crust of this country and demi-humans. If it weren't for the fact that they were in Naofumi's party, they wouldn't have been allowed to attend.

There was also the minor fact that the three of them were still wearing their combat gear, weapons included, as that was the only real clothes they had. Then again, the other Heroes and their party members were also wearing their combat gear, probably so that the Heroes and their parties looked appropriately heroic.

Still, neither of them allowed it to drag them down much, though Shirou had to continuously repress the need to step in and do something whenever he heard someone badmouth either Raphtalia or Naofumi. Instead, both of them just enjoyed the top-tier food that had been set aside for the guests and tried to engage the ever sour Naofumi in conversation.

They were making about as much headway as snail crawling over molasses, but they kept trying. They were stubborn like that.

"There's so much food here that I've never seen before," Raphtalia said, sighing in contentment. "I'm _so_ curious about all of the delicacies here."

"It does look, and taste, good," Shirou concurred. "It's much different fare than I'm used to, though. I wonder if I could make it myself…"

"You know how to cook?" Raphtalia asked, blinking.

Shirou nodded. "I'm self-taught. Whatever my father managed to cook up always looked and tasted like a military ration," he said, grimacing. "And that was when he didn't somehow start a fire in the kitchen. I swear, that man could start a fire when trying to boil water."

Raphtalia huffed a laugh. "Sounds like quite the character."

"Oh, he definitely was," Shirou agreed. "It worked out for the best, though. I actually enjoy cooking and dad certainly liked not having to cook, so…"

"If both of you are so curious about all the food, why not try everything," Naofumi cut in, not looking up from his Status Menu. He had eaten a little, yes, but he still couldn't taste anything, so he only had a minimal amount of food.

Moreover he had found some interesting information in his Help Menu he had been looking through. Apparently, there was a mechanic in his Status Menu called Battle Formations that would allow him or any of the other Heroes to add extra troops to these Battle Formations that were not technically a part of his party, but would still be transported to the site of the Wave. And from what he could see, there was no upper limit of how many people a Hero could have transported alongside him.

It was a handy mechanic, but this did bring up the question why the other Heroes hadn't made use of it. Considering his situation, he couldn't have made use of it even if he wanted to, but the other Heroes certainly could. Having a couple hundred extra soldiers immediately on hand to fight the monsters and evacuate the villagers, instead of having them travel on foot to the Wave, would have made things much easier.

_If a Wave happens to take place where the knights can't reach in a timely manner… Depending on where the Wave happens, it could be a blood bath… Hell, even if the Wave is stopped, if enough of the monsters escape they will still wreck thousands of lives… Not like I care, though._

Raphtalia blushed a little. "But if I eat too much, I'll…" she said, bringing Naofumi's attention back to her

"Considering how much we will be traveling, grinding and fighting in the future, I doubt it will be a problem," Naofumi said. "Eat up."

"Um, N-Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia said after a moment's pause, somehow looking even more flustered. "D-Do you prefer women with a bit more… meat on them? Do you mind if they are thin or not?"

Suddenly, Shirou looked very uncomfortable. Naofumi appeared nonplussed, blinking, apparently not comprehending why Raphtalia would ask him that.

"…I neither like nor dislike it," Naofumi finally said. "Getting a little fat on you now won't hurt you, either of you, in battle, so there's no problem as far as I am concerned."

"I-I told you, I'm not fat!" Raphtalia voice went a note higher in embarrassment. "I've merely grown up."

"However you put it, both of you are still growing children," Naofumi said. "Eat us much as you want. It will safe us some money."

Shirou sighed at his words, obviously just as annoyed as Raphtalia, though Naofumi couldn't fathom why. "That's right, I'd forgotten that's how you are, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia said, seeming to be a little disappointed, even if she was smiling still. "Let's just enjoy our dinner."

Naofumi nodded, even though he wasn't really enjoying the food. There was no reason to antagonize either Raphtalia or Shirou.

After that, they fell into silence. Raphtalia and Shirou continued to enjoy their food and Naofumi was still looking through his Help Menu, checking to see if there was any other useful information. Alone as they were, all three of them briefly forgot where they were, simply enjoying the relative silence in the area they were sitting.

"NAOFUMI!"

Only for a piercing yell to rip said silence asunder.

They looked over to see the Spear Hero marching towards them, his face a rictus of fury. Myne, the bitch that had framed Naofumi, stalked in the man's shadow, a smirk on her face and a sadistic gleam in her eyes.

Naofumi's expression darkened and his rage spiked, but before he could get a word in edgewise and demand to know what Motoyasu wanted from him, the man began to lay into him.

"How dare you make use of slaves, Naofumi?! Have you no shame, no morals?!"

The feast had fallen silent. No chatter and no clinking of plates. All eyes turned to them. Than all the people started whispering.

"I've heard all about it! I know these two, Shirou and Raphtalia, are your slaves!" the Spear Hero continued to yell, reaching out and grabbing Raphtalia by the shoulder.

Raphtalia tore herself out of Motoyasu's grasp, stepping back and looking on wide eyed.

"Yes, these two demi-humans are my slaves," Naofumi said, as if he was talking about the weather. "What about it?"

"What about it?!" Motoyasu repeated, looking more and more incensed. "People don't belong to anyone else! It's barbaric!"

"Social norms are dictated by the time and the place," Naofumi rebuffed flatly. "In this country, the practice of slavery is legal. There is no law that prevents me from owning slaves."

"That's not the point! We're from another world, from another culture where slavery isn't allowed! It hasn't been for centuries! Moreover, we are Heroes! We're not supposed to stoop so low as to own slaves!" the Spear Hero continued to yell.

"That's _your_ logic, not mine," Naofumi met Motoyasu's glare head on.

The Spear Hero was gritting his teeth, apparently out of arguments. "… Lets have a duel! If I when, you let these two go!"

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "And what's in it for me? What do I stand to gain from accepting such a duel?"

"If you win, you'll get to keep your slaves," Motoyasu growled.

Naofumi snorted and turned back to his food, even if it didn't appeal to him in the slightest. Tasteless food was still better that Motoyasu. "I refuse. I have nothing to gain and everything to lose from such a duel."

"Why you…"

"Please, wait a moment!" Raphtalia suddenly cut in. "I'm-Ack!"

A group of knights seized Raphtalia from behind, pulling her arms behind her back and binding her limbs with rope. A gag was stuffed into her mouth.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi turned back, wide eyed, his plate of food clattering to the floor.

Another group of knights jumped Shirou as well, and a scuffle erupted, but Naofumi was prevented from seeing what happened when the piece of trash King entered the scene.

"I heard all about it as well," the King walked up, wearing an expression of heavy disapproval. "To think that a Hero would dare to own slaves, but I guess we should have expected as much from the criminal Shi-

The sudden eruption of noise cut the King off. Cries of pain, metal denting and the sound of bodies falling to the floor of the banquet hall cut through everything else, and...

"Let go of her!" a shout followed.

Shirou darted towards his restrained party member. The knights sent to restrain him laid writhing on the ground.

"Stop him!" the knight holding Raphtalia shouted. "Don't le-

The knight's sentence would never be finished. In the moment of distraction, Raphtalia slammed the back of her head into the knight's helmet. The steel protection dented, doing little to slow the blow down. The knight collapsed silently and Raphtalia tore her restraints to pieces with brute strength, as if the ropes were made out of tissue paper.

The knights around her recoiled, clearly caught off guard.

Both Raphtalia and Shirou were Level 20, something that was visible to anyone looking at them with their Status Magic, but their Stats were considerably higher than a Level 20 had any right to be thanks to the Legendary Shield's Stat Growth adjustment ability. Much higher than your run of the mill knight. But there was no way anyone could have predicted that, and now they were paying for it.

Shirou dove into the knights close to Raphtalia, the pommel of his sword slamming into the pit of the stomach of the first knight he reached.

Raphtalia, incensed that they had tried to take her hostage, was less than gentle as she lashed out. Her backhand send a knight spinning to the ground even as her sword slid out of its sheath. She slashed twice, bashing the blunt end of the blade against two other knights who went down just as easily as the first.

Having created enough space, the two demi-humans quickly made some distance and returned to Naofumi's side, baring their blades at the shocked onlookers. The King, Myne and Motoyasu could not believe what had just happened.

Naofumi couldn't believe it either. He couldn't comprehend what was going on, why his slaves didn't leap at the chance that was being presented to them.

Raphtalia spat out the gag that had been stuffed into her mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you people!" she shouted. She wasn't just mad, she was enraged, a state Naofumi nor Shirou had ever seen before. "What makes you think you can manhandle someone like that without just cause!"

"Without just cause?" Motoyasu repeated incredulously. "You're that man's _slave_! We're just trying to help you!"

"Whoever said we wanted any help!" Shirou growled. "I hate being a slave, I hate being owned like a piece of meat! But Master had no other choice, and-"

"Don't listen to what the demi-humans are saying!" Myne yelled over Shirou. "Their Slave Crests are obviously controlling them! Making them say words they do not actually mean! Making them not act in their own best interest! It's just a trick from the criminal Shield Hero!"

Naofumi growled as another poisonous lie spilled past Myne's lips. To be fair, making slaves act and say things with instructions in advance through the use of a Slave Crest's settings was possible, but he had never even touched those settings. If he wanted his slaves to do something, he would have to verbally order them. It was another blatant lie.

"This damn lying bitch…" Naofumi hissed beneath his breath. "She won't stop."

Shirou's raccoon ears twitched as he picked up Naofumi's mutters, and his eyes narrowed. Was this the one that had accused the Shield Hero of rape? The one that had ruined him so thoroughly?

Behind him, Naofumi's glare towards the smirking Myne could have killed a weak willed person in an instant.

And of course, everyone would believe her lies again. Why would they believe otherwise? He was the criminal Shield Hero who used slaves. Hell, the bastards accosting him now, Myne included, probably truly believed that the falsehood she had just uttered was true. Even Naofumi himself did not believe that his slaves didn't desire to be free of him, to have their Slave Crests removed.

He just couldn't believe it, his mind just _refused_ to believe otherwise. They must be suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Yeah, that was it. His slaves must have become twisted in the head because of their situation and his treatment. That was the only explanation he could think of.

Not that his slaves' actions mattered, because he didn't get long to ponder it. Dozens upon dozens of knights streamed into room, baring their blades at them, surrounding them and blocking all possible routs of escape. Motoyasu stood in front of them, barely keeping himself back from throwing caution to the wind and attacking the hated Shield Hero.

"I've heard enough," the King once again boomed. "The demi-humans words and actions can't be trusted, and slavery is abhorrent-"

"Even though you yourself allow it in your own country!" Naofumi snapped.

"Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, is truly a compassionate man for trying to help such unlucky souls," the King said, totally ignoring Naofumi's comment. "I will permit this duel under the stated terms. When the Spear Hero wins, we will remove the Slave Crests post-haste."

"I didn't agree to any of this!"

The King sighed, appearing mildly annoyed. "I'm this country's king! My word is law! If I say that you will accept this duel, you _will _accept!" the King glared at Naofumi, as if he was a particularly annoying insect, then gave a tiny smirk. "The terms are set. A one on one duel, to be driven in a corner or surrender. When you lose, your slaves will be set free."

"One on one?" Naofumi recoiled, Shirou and Raphtalia's tails puffing up in outrage. "What kind of bullshit is that?! I can't fight without them!"

"The duel will be held in the arena! Now, come! We shall-"

The King fell silent as two blades were levelled in his direction, the knights tensing at the blatant statement of intent. In that moment, both Shirou and Raphtalia looked more than murderous enough to actually try and attack the King.

"… Ren. Itsuki," the King said, narrowing his eyes at the demi-humans. "Might I ask a boon of you both?"

The Sword Hero and Bow Hero, having long since approached with their parties in tow, looked towards the King.

"What is it?" Ren, the Sword Hero, spoke up first.

"Would you and your parties please make sure that the demi-humans don't interfere?"

"… Yes, I will do that," Itsuki, the Bow Hero, said. Ren simply nodded.

Shirou looked toward the two Heroes, tightning his fingers on the hilt of his sword. Before he could voice his displeasure, a headache erupted behind his eyes as he laid eyes on the Legendary Sword. Just like had happened with the Legendary Spear, the information was there, but he could not make head or tails of it and it pained him to receive it.

Curiously, the Legendary Bow provoked no such reaction. In fact, he received nothing from it. No information and no headache.

Naofumi growled, fingers clenching so tight, the only reason blood wasn't leaking from his digits was because of the fact that he was the Shield Hero. "Fine," he spat. "I'll accept your farce of a duel, but don't think for a second that I will simply lie down and lose!"

"Master…"

"Naofumi-sama…"

Naofumi glowered at everyone in the room. "Step aside. I'm not getting out of this no matter what you both do. They won't let me."

Slave Crests flickering, Shirou and Raphtalia sheathed their swords. Their expressions could barely be described, and the closest that one could come was angry beyond all reason.

"Besides, I'm not going to make it easy for him," Naofumi glared at Motoyasu, who smugly grinned back. "I'm going to make him suffer every step of the way!"

* * *

Wrath roiled through Naofumi's veins as he waited in the in the arena's prep area, the only light in the room coming between the bars of the gate leading into the arena floor proper. His fingers curled and uncurled, gritting his teeth at yet another injustice he was being subjected to.

Why for fuck's sake had he come to this godforsaken banquet? Why hadn't he figured that his tormentors would use this opportunity to fuck with him again? In hindsight, it was blatantly obvious that this was going to happen. In spite of all the roadblocks he had been met with, he was finally making some progress, and, of course, the bastards to blame for his shitty circumstances couldn't have that. Now they had a golden opportunity to reduce him back to zero, and they weren't going to miss the chance to ruin him. So why had he come?

Naofumi knew why. He had let the promise of a cash reward blind him towards a fundamental fact of this world: everything and everyone in it existed to make him miserable.

This was hell, plain and simple, and Satan had made it his personal mission to ruin him.

There was no point to regret coming, though. It had been done, and here he was, about to head into a battle that would define the meaning of unfair. He could hear people badmouthing him through the walls, the words muffled to the point that he could barely hear them, but…

"The Shield Hero against the Spear Hero, what a joke."

"The Shield is probably just going to lay down and take it. I mean, he can't fight back."

"Not really exciting, the Shield versus the Spear Hero, but at least it will be a good comedy."

…His mind finished the sentences for him.

_All of them hate me, they despise me, _his mind blackened even more with hate filled thoughts as the bars to the arena floor were raised, opening up the path.

Naofumi took a step forward, followed by another, and another, and he eventually he emerged. The arena floor was simple hard packed dirt, a high wall surrounding it. Audience seats ringed the arena, raised high so that the view was unobstructed, nobles filling them and watching on. The piece of trash king had his own special area above it all, looking down him like he always did. A man sitting beside him wore religious looking clothing, like a priest, or maybe a pope. Naofumi felt his temper flare as the eyes of the man in priestly clothing settled on him.

He spotted his slaves in the audience, standing right at the front of the viewing area to his left. They were flanked by Ren, Itsuki, and their parties. There would be no aid from them.

Naofumi did not get long to take in the scene. Motoyasu approached him from the front, all smiles and waving to the crowd. The bastard didn't even look like he was taking it seriously, like his victory was assured.

He would wipe that self-satisfied smile off that gullible idiot's face if it was the last thing he did.

"Now, the duel between the Shield Hero and Spear Hero will commence!" the King stood up from his seat, booming the rules of the battle. "To be driven in a corner or surrender! Should the Shield Hero lose, his slaves will have their Slave Crests removed!"

Motoyasu smirked confidently at Naofumi. "Prepare to lose, you no good scum. Those slaves of yours will go free. After all, justice is on my side, and good always wins."

Naofumi did not respond to the cliché drivel that Motoyasu was spouting. He just shifted into a ready stance, shield raising and changing into the the shield with the highest base Defence Stat he had. His feet were planted firmly into the packed dirt. A glare that could have melted lead pierced out from the shadows of his bangs.

"Oh," Motoyasu mocked. "Scary."

_That's right, keep talking, you bastard,_ Naofumi's brain was throbbing from the rage.

"You may now…" the King raised his hand.

Motoyasu's Legendary Spear changed shape, taking the form of a trident.

"…Begin!" the King's hand came down with a note of finality, as he if he was ordering an execution.

Motoyasu exploded forward. As the Spear Hero, his Speed Stat was the highest amongst all of the four Cardinal Heroes, and it showed. He had crossed half the distance with Naofumi in what appeared to be a single bound.

But that was not fast enough to stop Naofumi from raising his shield above his head and activating a Skill.

"Toxic Spikes!" the Shield Hero roared, and the Spear Hero paled.

A glob of purple, noxious looking poison manifested above the green jewel of the Legendary Shield. It shot skywards, and at the apex of its flight it detonated, a spattering rain of poison that liberally drenched the area around Naofumi. The packed dirt glowed purple. This Skill acted more like a curse than one would expect. Except for Naofumi and his party members, anyone who entered the range of effect would receive a hefty dose of poison, permeating through whatever armor or clothes said person was wearing, making the entire area around the Shield Hero dangerous ground.

Motoyasu knew this, but he could no longer pull back. He had rushed in too fast, and his momentum was too great to stop. Realizing this, he simply accelerated, figuring that if he couldn't avoid it, he would just have to enter the danger zone for the shortest amount of time as possible.

Naofumi saw this, saw the intent in the Spear Hero's eyes to continue with his less than well-advised and rushed attack, and smirked viciously. His hand dipped into his satchel.

Motoyasu entered the field of poison, and had to hold back a grimace as a brief shimmer of purple danced across his body, the poison permeating his body. He groaned as mild aches and pains began to assault his body. He had to finish his attack, retreat and quickly down an Antidote before the damage of the poison stacked too much, and-

A potion bottle filled with bright yellow powder came flying towards him, thrown directly towards him by Naofumi. Motoyasu saw it clearly, as if in slow motion as his eyes widened, and again, his rushed, ill thought out attack cost him. He was simply moving too fast in a straight line to dodge.

Bright yellow powder enveloped him as the potion bottle shattered on his breastplate. Static electricity danced up and down his body, the Paralysis locking up his muscles, and Motoyasu cried in alarm as he planted face-first into the dirt. He had been moving so fast that he skidded to a stop almost directly in front of Naofumi's feet.

Naofumi, instead of attacking immediately, jumped back, making distance again, even as one of his hands slid back into his satchel while the other disappeared under his cloak. Another potion bottle, this one filled with red powder, and two shadowed orbs emerged from their hiding places.

Motoyasu, in spite of the static electricity locking up his muscles, forced himself back onto his feet. It did him little to no good, as the Paralysis combined with the poison ensured that he would not be moving from his spot. The Spear Hero could do little else but widen his eyes and go pale as a corpse as another container of glass soared towards him. He made a valiant effort to dodge, but the potion bottle still shattered against his armored shoulder.

"Shield Prison!" Naofumi yelled, a series of overlapping shields closing around the Spear Hero like a prison.

Flames erupted from the gaps between the shields, the Shield Prison containing and focusing the fire inwards. Motoyasu's screams, though somewhat muffled by the shields, were still quite audible.

Naofumi's smirk was downright evil as he heard his hated enemy scream.

The Shield Prison remained in effect long enough for another two eruptions of flame to spew forth in between the gaps of the shields. And when the Shield Prison eventually dropped away…

Gasps echoed throughout the arena.

Motoyasu, in a word, looked terrible. Burns covered the flesh his armor did not cover, and who knew how bad the damage was underneath said armor. He had the pallor of a corpse due to the poison ravaging his system and he was gasping for breath as if he'd just run a marathon and not as if he had been fighting for less than three minutes.

Naofumi marvelled at how much a single mistake could cost you in battle. He really did.

That did not mean that the Spear Hero had given up, however. A potion bottle emerged from the jewel in his spear, something that made Naofumi's eyes widen, and the Spear Hero quickly downed it.

Unluckily for Motoyasu, Naofumi was not surprised enough to stop moving. His arm reared back and he yet again threw something, two round, shadowed objects, directly towards Motoyasu.

The blond spearman rose back to his feet just in time to be struck. The two Balloon monsters, having been hidden underneath Naofumi's cloak, bit down hard, one latching onto the Spear Hero's face and the other to his side. Another scream echoed throughout the arena, one born much more from rage and frustration than pain.

Motoyasu jumped back, using that speed of his to get out of danger instead of foolishly rushing in like he had done previously, getting away Naofumi and out of the poison area.

"You foul playing piece of trash!" Motoyasu roared as he tore the Balloon off his face, threw it on the ground and stomped on it viciously, popping it. A quick thrust with his elbow popped the other. "Will you do anything to win!"

"What's wrong, Motoyasu? Things not going like you expected them to?" Naofumi said mockingly, walking forward and quickly closing the distance again. "Didn't expect the weakest Hero to actually put up a fight, huh?"

Motoyasu growled wordlessly beneath his breath and didn't respond further. Another potion bottle emerged from his Legendary Spear that he quickly snagged up.

"Like I'd let you!" another Balloon emerged from underneath Naofumi's cloak.

What happened next surprised Naofumi. As the Balloon flew towards Motoyasu, fanged maw wide open, Naofumi figured that Motoyasu would dodge and give Naofumi enough time to close the distance and prevent the Spear Hero from downing the potion. Instead, Motoyasu didn't bother to dodge and chugged down the potion as quickly as he could.

The pallor of his skin immediately improved, the magical Antidote counteracting the poison. The Balloon flew true and closed its maw around Motoyasu's bicep, who simply grimaced at the pain and popped the Balloon with a quick whack of the hand.

Naofumi's eyes narrowed. The poison in Motoyasu's system had been removed, and considering the fact that his Burn hadn't activated again for some time, the first potion that the Spear Hero had drunk must have been a Burn Heal. Besides that, static electricity no longer danced up and down the Spear Hero's body, so that Status Condition must have worn off naturally. Not good.

Yet another potion emerged from Motoyasu's Legendary Spear. As all his Status Conditions had been taken care of, this must be a Healing Potion to heal his wounds.

"Oh, hell no!" Naofumi lunged towards Motoyasu. He had not stopped approaching, and now he was more than close enough to prevent that potion from being drunk personally.

Motoyasu seemed to have expected it, and instead of quickly trying to down the Healing Potion, he'd levelled his spear at Naofumi and intoned, "Chaos Thrust!" his Legendary Spear became light and seemed to move as fast as light, over a dozen thrusts of the polearm suddenly raining down on Naofumi in the blink of an eye.

_Clang! Clang! Clang! _

The Spear Hero's eyes widened as several thrusts struck Naofumi, only to bounce of harmlessly, the no damage indicator resounding multiple times. He did not get the chance to ponder the implications of that, because by then Naofumi was on him.

Knowing that he couldn't harm Motoyasu directly, Naofumi didn't try to. Instead, he leaped and body checked the Spear Hero, knocking him over onto his back.

Spittle flew from Motoyasu's mouth, and he gasped for breath. The Healing potion shattered on the ground.

Naofumi smirked at his downed opponent. As the Shield Hero, he couldn't harm people directly, but there was no rule that prevented him from doing damage indirectly. Like, say, by dropping someone and letting gravity do the work. It was a workaround he had picked up while fighting monsters.

It didn't do a lot of damage, but it was something, and that's what counted.

Naofumi was already reaching for another concoction of his, but he didn't get the chance to use it.

Motoyasu rolled onto his side and literally flung himself away, digging his fingers into the ground for leverage. He rolled until his feet were under him again and sprung back onto his feet. It didn't look in any way heroic, but it got him away from Naofumi.

"Ready to give up yet?" Naofumi asked, a dangerous grin on his face.

"Never," Motoyasu growled between his pants for breath. "I'm not giving up until I have beaten you and I've set Raphtalia-chan free."

Naofumi had to hold back a roll of his eyes, both at the stereotypical line and the fact that Motoyasu hadn't even mentioned Shirou. It was just another confirmation of just _why _the Spear Hero had challenged him. Motoyasu obviously believed slavery to be abhorrent, but it was clear that this duel was just as much an opportunity to play the chivalrous hero for a girl.

Play the chivalrous hero for a child at that. And Motoyasu thought _him_ a sick fuck? What a hypocrite.

Motoyasu, for his part, was more busy with trying to get air into his lungs. This fight wasn't going like he had envisioned it, at all. The Shielder was the weakest class by far, as it couldn't attack, and Naofumi himself had admitted that, unlike the other Heroes, he knew nothing of this world before being summoned. Unlike himself, Naofumi, did not know where to get the best Skills or how the level efficiently, something that was supported by the fact that Naofumi was only Level 18 while Motoyasu was Level 43. And yet, the Shield Hero had, so far, been kicking his ass in this duel.

That shouldn't be possible. All logic pointed towards an easy win for Motoyasu, but that was clearly not the case. His brain raced for an explanation, and he generated several in a moment's thought. He himself had been foolish for one, rushing in with no plan of attack other than to bash Naofumi's face in. For another, Naofumi clearly knew the limitations of his Class and had become devious to work around said limitations, using monsters and Status Conditions to do damage for him and impede his opponents. And lastly, the Shielder Class' Defence Stat was to, put it bluntly, fucking insane.

Motoyasu still couldn't quite believe how easy Naofumi had shrugged off his Chaos Thrust Skill. Each individual thrust was weaker than a normal attack from him, yes, but considering the sheer level disparity between them, that by all rights shouldn't have been a problem. A picture started to form in Motoyasu's mind of just how Naofumi had structured and developed his build.

It was plain and straightforward, yet brilliant in its simplicity. Make use of Status Conditions galore to wear your opponent down, while your insane Defence Stat that Naofumi had obviously taken pains to raise as high as humanly possible kept you safe. Than you would just have to outlast your opponent and claim victory through sheer attrition.

Motoyasu gritted his teeth at that realization. "No one!" he yelled, spinning his spear in front of him, creating a circle of energy. "Will accept such an outcome!"

After all, he had taken pains to acquire the most powerful Skills he could get this early game. It was high time he should use them.

Motoyasu thrust his spear through the energy circle, the energy collecting in a focused point, and he shouted, "Meteor Thrust!" A raging, coruscating sphere of energy lanced out. It shot over the packed dirt, disturbing the air with its passing, and closed the distance with Naofumi in the blink of an eye.

"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi intoned quickly, the ethereal shield manifesting a few feet in front of him. But he did not stop there. "Shield Prison!" the second Skill activated less than a second later and he enclosed himself in the prison of overlapping shields.

The Meteor Thrust struck the Air Strike Shield with a deafening bang, a rush of air blasting out in all directions. Many of the people in the audience had to suddenly brace themselves in their seats and hold on to certain objects lest they be blown away.

It briefly looked like the Air Strike Shield might actually hold up to the attack, but then with the sound of metal being rent, the ethereal shield gave up the ghost. The Air Strike Shield scattered and dissipated, the Meteor Thrust blasting through. The coruscating sphere of energy crashed against the Shield Prison like a raging bull, another deafening bang echoing throughout the arena, air blasting out in all directions again as the sphere of unstable energy tried its best to ground the sphere of shields to dust and get at the target it had been sent to destroy.

Naofumi's eyes widened and swore at the sight of cracks spreading through his protective envelope, light beginning to flood in. The metal groaned ominously and the temperature began to rise. Acting quickly, he braced himself, raising his shield and hunkering down.

The Meteor Thrust breached the Shield Prison, and blinding light enveloped him.

Motoyasu watched, a surge of satisfaction suffusing him as his Skill defeated all of Naofumi's defences and reached its target, releasing an explosion that rocked the arena and threw dirt into the air. A screen of dust covered the former position of the Shield Hero. Still, Motoyasu didn't drop his guard, even if he saw no more movement. Naofumi had more than proven to be a credible threat in spite of his expectations, harming the Spear Hero more than he would have imagined.

Actually, now that he finally had the chance… a Healing Potion manifested from his spear. He snagged it up and raised it to his lips.

But before Motoyasu could drink the potion, half a dozen potion bottles filled with multiple colors of dust suddenly breached the screen of dirt and arched straight towards him.

"Shit!" Motoyasu cursed and darted to the side, multiple clouds of dust exploding in his wake, but thankfully missing him. He chugged down the Healing Potion as quickly as he could. It would not heal him completely, but it would at least allow him to fight at full capacity.

Naofumi exploded from the cloud of dirt, rushing for the Spear Hero. His armor had some scuffs, but other than that, the Shield Hero looked unharmed.

Motoyasu sighed in relief as the aches and pain suffusing his body lessened. Feeling refreshed, he turned on a dime and rushed to meet the Shield Hero's charge. Closing the distance, he thrust his spear as soon as he was within range.

Naofumi caught it with his shield, and a bare second before the two Legendary Weapons connected, the shape of the Legendary Shield changed.

Motoyasu's eyes widened as he came face to face with the Two Headed Black Dog Shield, the only shield in the Shield Hero's repertoire with an actual attack. To be precise, a counter-attack that went active the second the shield was struck.

And he had just hit it.

"Dog bite!" Naofumi announced triumphantly. The two dog heads sprouting from the Legendary Shield animated, their necks lengthening and their maws opening wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth and dark gullets.

Motoyasu bit back a scream as the dog heads sank their teeth into his arm, the counter-attack doing far more damage that he would have expected. He yanked his arm free and, taking advantage of their relative positions, he twirled his spear and slammed the shaft of it against Naofumi's side.

_Clang!_

Naofumi grunted, smirking at the ineffectual attack. He swung his shield at Motoyasu, trying to goad him into triggering its counter-attack again.

Not foolish enough to do so, Motoyasu jumped back. But…

"Air Strike Shield!"

An ethereal shield manifested directly behind him.

The Spear Hero's back smashed into it, unbalancing him in his surprise at the sudden appearance of the obstacle, and he fell flat on his face.

For a bare, solitary second, the Spear Hero was no longer darting around.

Naofumi didn't hesitate. He emptied his satchel of all the concoctions he had remaining and unceremoniously dumped them on the unmoving back of the Spear Hero.

Motoyasu's reaction was lost in the multi-colored dust cloud that enveloped him. It dissipated a moment later, showing him staggering to his feet, his skin already starting to go pale from one of the rare few poison bottles Naofumi had on him and had just dumped on Motoyasu.

"Not so tough now, are you?"

"Nao-," the Spear Hero started to yell, only to stop, literally freezing as static electricity sparked up and down his body. Than fire erupted from his skin, burning him, his scream of pain lost in the roar of the flames. Ice covered his feet and literally rooted the Spear Hero to the spot.

"Are you ready to give up yet?" Naofumi leered at the ailing Spear Hero.

Motoyasu didn't even get a chance to respond. Fire erupted around him again, the damage quickly started to stack up with the poison damage while the Paralysis and Frozen Status Conditions ensured that he wouldn't be moving.

"Honestly, now I'm starting to pity you," Naofumi said, his spiteful tone speaking to the contrary.

Yet another potion manifested from the Legendary Spear's jewel.

Naofumi snagged it and threw it aside. "Ah, ah, ah. That's no longer allowed. Now that I'm out of my concoctions, you can no longer use potions. It's only fair-"

"Watch out!" Raphtalia's voice snapped like a thunderclap.

A blast of air surged down the arena floor, heading directly for Naofumi.

Forewarned, the Shield Hero quickly jumped back, barely avoiding the blast of air, the Wind Fist spell, that had almost struck him and would have sent him flying. His head turned to look, and he caught sight of Myne in the crowd, quickly retracting her hand that she had used to aim her spell. She caught his eye and stuck her tongue out at him, pulling her eyelid down as insult to injury.

Naofumi barely had the time to ponder the _explosion _of anger that suddenly erupted in his veins. He felt magic settle upon him, and a gasp escaped him as several Debuffs stacked upon him, lowering his Stats across the board, but targeting mostly his Defence Stat.

The sudden sensation of his strength leaving him left him breathless, and he couldn't help but take a knee. He was suddenly woozy, even if his anger acted as a focus point for his mind.

Motoyasu, meanwhile, surged back to his feet, several Buffs being stacked upon him and raising his Stats across the board, even as several Healing spells restored him to full strength and Recovery spells took care of the Status Conditions that he'd been dogpiled with. Still, he hesitated to attack as he looked at the kneeling Shield Hero.

It was perfectly clear what had just happened, both to him and the people in the audience, if the whispering was any indication. He was highly familiar with deluge of Healing, Recovery, and Buff spells he had just received, as it was the main way his party aided him in battle. He could've written off Naofumi making distance when he had Motoyasu right where he wanted him as a mistake, but the way the Shield Hero had suddenly taken a knee reminded him of monsters who had just been hit with multiple Debuffs in quick succession.

There had been interference in the duel, and rather blatantly at that, but the King did not move to disqualify him and didn't rule Naofumi the winner.

"What the fuck!"

"You all just saw what happened! Why isn't anyone doing anything! The Spear Hero should be disqualified!"

Yes, he really should be, and he hesitated to attack, seriously considering to throw in the towel himself, but… It was clear that the people here wanted him to win, to defeat the criminal and set his slaves, who were even now being compelled by their Slaves Crests to speak words in the Shield Hero's defence, free. The people, and his party, were even willing to sully their own hands to make it happen.

Motoyasu eyes hardened and he spun his spear until the tip was pointed towards his enemy. He launched himself at Naofumi. How could he be able to justify himself to the people, to his party members, to the slaves, if he didn't answer in kind? If playing dirty was what it took to win, then so be it!

"You basta-" Naofumi forced himself back to his feet, deflecting his first thrust of the spear with his shield, but his weakened body with its lowered Stats wasn't anywhere near fast enough to deflect or dodge the second thrust.

Motoyasu grinned as the tip of his spear sank into Naofumi's arm, the Shield Hero's Defence Stat no longer high enough to render him immune to his normal attacks. "I've got you now!"

"Like hell you have!" Naofumi bit back the pain and kicked Motoyasu in the stomach with surprising strength.

It didn't harm Motoyasu, but he stumbled back, surprised that Naofumi still had so much strength, as he was labouring under multiple Debuffs and the fact that he was the Shield Hero.

Naofumi raised his Shield to the sky, and intoned, "Toxic Spi-"

Motoyasu had recognized what Naofumi had been doing, what Skill he was about to use, and he had acted quickly to head him off. "Air Strike Javelin!" he shouted, throwing his spear up high. At the apex of its arc, the Legendary Spear turned into pure energy that boomeranged towards Naofumi. At the exact moment it was heading straight for Naofumi, it turned back into a spear, aiming directly for the center of the Shield Hero's chest.

Not having the time to finish activating his Skill or cast another, Naofumi was forced to quickly bring his shield back down and brace himself as best he could.

It was not nearly enough.

The Air Strike Javelin struck his shield dead center with awesome force. Naofumi's feet slid back across the ground, his arms screaming from the effort to keep the Legendary Spear at bay. Slowly, but surely Naofumi was being pushed to the corner of the arena.

With a scream of effort and rage, Naofumi deflected the Legendary Spear to the side.

Motoyasu had followed in the Shield Hero's wake, rushing to get in close. As his attack was deflected, the Legendary Spear turned back into energy and returned to him, assembling back into its original form at the very second he got into striking distance.

Naofumi looked up, face pale and snarling so viciously at him that Motoyasu briefly thought he was looking at the face of a demon.

Motoyasu activated a Skill to end it. "Chaos Thr-"

"Motoyasu-sama! Watch out!"

The male demi-human slave, Shirou, slid in between Naofumi and Motoyasu, whose eyes went wide. He was in full motion with his Skill milliseconds away from triggering. Motoyasu did not have the time to wonder how the demi-human had managed to get here without being stopped by the other Heroes or their parties, nor did he have the time to cancel his Skill.

"-ust!" the Skill activated, the lightning fast thrusts spearing into the demi-human.

Blood splattered across the shocked Naofumi's face.

For a brief second, there was silence.

Then, there was a of flash, the light glinting off of the silvery surface of a blade swinging. The Spear Hero let out a surprised cry of pain and hunched over. A Magic Steel sword had slid smoothly into one of the few small gaps in his armor, punching through into the flesh underneath.

"Shirou!" Raphtalia shouted as she came running up.

Whispering had long since erupted from the audience, interrupted by a few gasps as Shirou, the demi-human slave, and the Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, struck each other and drew blood. There was, however, a difference in severity in the wounds received.

Motoyasu had a puncture wound, a good sized length of the blade stuck in the side of his gut.

Shirou, on the other hand, had multiple of such wounds on his body, one having glanced off his ribs, tearing away the skin and flesh and throwing blood over the Shield Hero. There was no weapon stuck into any of those wounds, but that just meant he was bleeding out, and quickly at that.

The Magic Steel sword slid out of the hunched over Spear Hero as Shirou collapsed, his strength failing him. Raphtalia caught him before he could hit the ground, darting forward to do so, lowering him slowly to the ground as to not aggravate his injuries.

Motoyasu placed a hand over his wound and couldn't help but take a knee. The wound was a fairly clean stab, but the damage was substantial. It was without a doubt the worst wound he had received since coming to this world, and the pain stunned him.

"Motoyasu-sama! Quick! Heal him!" Myne's voice was heard uncomfortably close.

"Hold on, Shirou, and don't close your eyes!" Raphtalia, wide eyed and tears brimming at the edges of said eyes, dug in her bag. "I still have that higher quality Healing Potion Naofumi-sama made for us here," she said, taking out a slightly differently shaped potion bottle than normal.

Raphtalia placed the Healing Potion against Shirou's lips, and tipped it back. A green glow surrounded the injured demi-human, the wounds painstakingly beginning to knit themselves closed. Raphtalia sighed in relieve as the bleeding slowed, then stopped. She had feared that even the high quality Healing Potion Naofumi had cooked up for them wouldn't be enough to heal the injuries Shirou had, but thankfully the Shield Hero's potion making abilities proved to be spectacular.

"Why?" a voice, shaking and disbelieving, asked from behind them. Naofumi's eyes were looked onto Shirou. "Why did you…? What would possess you too…?"

"I… just couldn't stand it… anymore…" Shirou said, whispering.

"What?"

"The way people… treat you… How they… look… at you… What they… say… behind your back…"

Naofumi didn't say a word. He just listened. Raphtalia simply stroked Shirou's hair, her eyes conveying her understanding. After all, she had been wrestling with the same feelings.

"I thought I was going to go mad… Constantly having to keep myself back… from saying anything… from doing anything… knowing that nothing I could do would help… knowing that I would just make things worse… And I-"

"NAOFUMI!"

All three started. They had almost forgotten that they were anything but alone in that moment.

"Using your slave as a living shield!" Motoyasu's face had twisted in, what he thought to be, righteous fury. His wound had already been healed, and now he towered over them all. "Compelling them through their Slave Crest to protect you with their own bodies?! Have you no shame?!"

"What?!" Naofumi's attention snapped back to the Spear Hero. "I did no such thing!"

"Like hell you did!" Motoyasu looked a second away from attacking again. "There is no way that slave just tried to protect a vile man like you of his own volition!"

Before violence could erupt, another person cut in.

"Court Mages, restrain them," Myne said. Before anyone could blink, unseen people in shadows cast their spells. A faint light settled on both Shirou and Raphtalia, the tell-tale sign of a Disabling spell that halted all movement. No matter how hard they tried they couldn't move. The two demi-humans couldn't even open their mouths and protest what was happening.

"Myne?" The Spear Hero questioned, though he did not take his eyes away from Naofumi, who had similarly been restrained.

"Don't worry, Motoyasu-sama," Myne flicked her flame red hair. "Most people here already know that I'm Malty S. Melromarc, the princess of this nation. Them seeing me order the Court Mages will not raise any eyebrows."

Naofumi's eyes widened, horrible realization washing over him. Myne was a princes? The one that had falsely accused him of rape was a _princes_?

The revelation whipped his anger into a seething torrent of rage. No wonder they had so easily taken Myne, or Malty, at her word.

The King stood up from his seat and boomed down from his balcony. "Due to outside interference, the Shield Hero is hereby disqualified! The Spear Hero is the winner! As decided the Slaves Crests will now be removed!"

There was a moment of silence. A faceless man wearing a robe stepped out from the shadows as Shirou and Raphtalia were unceremoniously hauled to their feet by a pair of knights. The Court Mage carried a pitcher of some kind of liquid as he approached the restrained demi-humans.

Naofumi watched, not doing anything, not even trying to do anything. His eyes were hollow, haunted like a corpse, and beneath it all rage bordering on malice festered and grew.

It is often said that, if you want to push someone past the point of reason, push them past what they can take and break them, you first have to show them heaven and then let them experience hell. In that moment, as Naofumi could do nothing but watch as everything was about to be torn away from again, it proved to be true for the despairing Shield Hero.

Because, in spite of himself, in that moment that Shirou had thrown himself in front of Motoyasu's attack to defend him, Naofumi had felt a brief flash of what could have been called hope.

A hope that someone in this world didn't hate him. A hope that someone would listen to his side of the story. A hope that he could trust his back to someone without fear of being betrayed. A small and fragile bit of hope that someone, anyone, believed in him.

Only to have that brief flash of hope gutter as he watched the Court Mage apply the liquid to Shirou's and Raphtalia's Slave Crests. To have that brief flash of hope shrink as the Slave Crests flickered, purple lightning sparking up and down the flowing lines, before the marks went silent, flacking away and disappearing like they'd never been there. And when they did, they took the burgeoning hope of the Shield Hero with them.

Because, in the end, even if Naofumi had been shown an unconditional kindness and a selfless act in his defence, he still couldn't bring himself to believe in another again.

A dark miasma seemed to settle over his mind. Every injustice that he had encountered since coming to this world flowed through his mind like a demented highlights reel. Every dirty look, every whispered word of scorn, every derisive sneer. The princes accusing him, pulling down her eyelid in mockery, gleefully taking part in the cheating during the duel. The King convicting him with no proof and going out of his way to ruin him. Motoyasu writing him off as evil. The other Heroes berating him for a crime he had never committed.

The blooming anger those scenes evoked in him fed on the embers of his dead hope, and swelled beyond his capability to take.

In the seat of his soul, something cracked. And from that crack, wrath spilled forth and threatened to devour him.

**Requirement met: [Curse Series - Shield of Rage Unlocked]**

* * *

Shirou felt the magic holding him in place lift, a mere second after the Slave Crest had been removed from his chest. Three weeks after coming to this world and being made a slave, bound to someone else against his will, he was free.

"Raphta-GUAOH!"

He immediately used said freedom to sock the Spear Hero, who had made a beeline for Raphtalia, in the mouth.

"You self-righteous piece of shit!" Shirou spat the words out like poison.

The Spear Hero looked up at him in disbelieve from where he had been knocked on his ass in a replay of their first encounter at the church. His mouth moved, but no word escaped him.

Shirou found himself sneering down at Motoyasu. Anger the like of which he had never experienced, that he had never thought he was capable of, surged through him like a tsunami. This man… he called himself a Hero, said he fought for justice, that he was the good guy… but all he did was try and force his idea of justice and his belief of his innate goodness on others. Not caring what others said, or what they believed, or how he was hurting them in the process. Never contemplating that he might be wrong, that he might be going of faulty information. No matter what, the Spear Hero believed himself to be the paragon in his own story. The thoughts and opinions of others be damned.

All of that in the service of ruining a single, unlucky soul. Shirou thought he was going to be sick, so angry he was.

He was furious, but weirdly grateful as well. At least, he now had a very good example how to _not _act as a Hero. He should never grow conceited enough to believe that he was always in the right and simply do as he pleased. It was a good reference point.

"Motoyasu-sama!" the redhead princes, Malty, cried as her Hero was knocked on his ass. The audience had once again broken out in uneasy whispers at the unexpected scene. She turned furious eyes towards Shirou and took a step forward. "You dare-!"

_**SLAP!**_

Malty took a step back, staring like a dear in the headlights, wide-eyed in her disbelieve of what had just happened. Her hand came up to her cheek where a bright red hand print now rested.

"Shut. Your. Mouth," Raphtalia hissed between clenched teeth. Her hand lowered from where she'd slapped the princes. Her tail behind her had puffed up in outrage.

Slowly, it seemed to dawn on Malty what had just occurred. She opened her mouth to shout, but…

_**SLAP!**_

Malty's head snapped to the side. Now, her other cheek bore an identical hand print.

"I said, shut your mouth!" Raphtalia shouted. "You've done more than enough!"

"Wh-what the hell is wrong with you two!" Motoyasu got back up on his feet, Legendary Spear held at his side, but not pointed to anyone. It was clear that things weren't going like he had expected, and now the Spear Hero wasn't certain what to do.

"What is wrong with _us_?!" Shirou repeated in disbelieve. "What the hell is wrong with you, with all of you?!"

Now Motoyasu was starting to get angry himself. "We're just trying to help!"

"And whoever said we wanted any help!" Raphtalia shrieked, her hand dropping to her sword. Shirou's hand had similarly closed around his sword.

Motoyasu tensed. An undercurrent of violence was emanating from the arena floor, from the pair of demi-humans facing him. Everyone could feel it, and the crowd, knights and Court Mages included, grew restless.

An uneasy stand-off ensued, and everything paused for just a moment.

Finally, something seemed to dawn on Motoyasu. "You… weren't being controlled?" he whispered.

"Finally figured it out, huh?" Shirou spat, having marginally calmed down. "We have only been saying that the entire time."

"We are fighting by Naofumi-sama's side by choice," Raphtalia confirmed, glaring at the Spear Hero. "He never forced us to do anything we couldn't do, and only used the Crest when I was so afraid that I couldn't bring myself to fight!"

Behind them, Naofumi stood frozen. The gem of his Legendary Shield had gone from its normal green to an angry red, the Shield of Rage seconds away from being released. The world around him had fallen into an unearthly dark gloom, throwing everything into shadows that made the world look as if everything in it was mocking him, laughing at him.

But Raphtalia's and Shirou's words pierced that dark gloom and stopped him. The precipice loomed, but he did not fall.

_What are they doing? What are they saying?_

"But the both of you are his _slaves_!" Motoyasu shouted, as if repeating his earlier words would make them see reason. "He is obviously abusing you and using you until you both are nothing more than wrecks! The moment either of you break, he will discard you!"

"For all his faults, for all his bad attitude, he at least can be called a proper Hero!" Shirou lost his cool at the Spear Hero's sanctimonious drivel. "You call him evil, scum, someone that needs to put in his place and punished. But who was it that defended the villagers during the Wave? Who was it that actually saved lives? Who was it that protected the people? You and the other Heroes just went on ahead to kill powerful monsters, not even sparing a glance for the people caught in the crossfire! Did _they _cross you mind even once, huh?! And you think you have the right to pass judgement on him?!"

"Naofumi-sama has been nothing but kind to me ever since he bought me!" Raphtalia refuted with a passion that was startling, getting emotional again. "He held me when I was too scared to sleep! He gave me proper meals to eat! He cured my illness! He gave me a reason to live, to fight! He has protected and kept me safe in every battle we've ever fought, and because of that I have never been hurt! Not once! Does that sound like someone who would just throw me away?!"

Motoyasu took a step back. Again, he could offer no words to refute hers, or his for that matter.

Shirou growled, fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword. "I will repeat what I said earlier: I hate being a slave, I hate being owned like a piece of meat," he spat. "But Master had no other choice. No one he could trust would party with him, and as he is the Shield Hero, he needed someone to cover attacking. He needed to grow strong enough to survive the Wave. To accomplish that, he needed the help of someone else, and because of _someone's_ foul lies," Shirou threw a glare over the Spear Hero's shoulder at Malty. "He had no other choice but to buy slaves. To do anything else would be no different than asking him to die."

Behind them, Naofumi was trembling. He started backing up on shaking feet.

_I don't believe it. I won't believe it. I can't believe it. I… I…_

"Malty did not lie!" Motoyasu's shout echoed like a gunshot at the accusation. "He had his way with Malty the very night we were summoned to this world!"

Shirou reacted by making a sound he had never made before: a sarcastic, unamused laugh. "Oh, really? The princes of a nation accuses someone of rape, and that someone just so happens to be the person that the national religion of said nation, the Church of Three Heroes, literally describes to be the Devil… Tell me, do you truly believe such an obvious lie, or are you simply desperate to believe said lie in spite of all the signs pointing to the contrary?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Motoyasu's voice and expression showed his confusion.

"So you don't know," Raphtalia said, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. We have been in Naofumi-sama's care for well over three weeks, and in all that time he has never tried to take advantage of me, not even once. If Naofumi-sama was the kind of man you described, he would have forced himself on me sooner or later, especially to a person who couldn't resist. Spear Hero, your arguments are hollow."

With that, the two demi-humans turned their backs on the Spear Hero. They started walking towards Naofumi, who looked at them with naked fear as they approached.

"Stay back!" Naofumi shouted, almost tripping over his own two feet in his attempt to get away.

_I need to run. I can't trust them. I can't trust anyone. This world. Everyone it. All of it exist to deceive and hurt me!_

"Master…" Shirou reached out.

Naofumi slapped his hand away, a panicked expression on his face. "I said, stay back!" he shouted, trying to make distance, only to trip and fall onto his backside.

Shirou watched grimly as the Shield Hero tried to scramble away. After the latest round of abuse and maltreatment Naofumi had been subjected to, he'd no clue how to reach the man now. Naofumi had already shut out other people almost completely before this, but now…

Raphtalia did not care for any of that. Much to Shirou's surprise, she simply crouched down, got close and slowly, lovingly wrapped her hands around Naofumi.

The man, in response, froze. Naofumi tried to pull himself out of her grip. Raphtalia simply tightened her hold.

"Can you only trust a slave who can't betray you?" she whispered. "I want you to lend me your ear, to believe my words… and trust me when I say that I, no, that _we_ know you didn't do it. You're an innocent man who has suffered a betrayal, and was unfairly judged. But I'll refute the people judging, the people calling you a criminal, every single time! You didn't do it!"

Naofumi had stilled, but didn't say anything, but he did start when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"You didn't do it," Shirou repeated with a quiet, resolved certainty. "A man why took care of us like you did, who went out of his way to save innocents, who has not lashed out unfairly at others in spite of all that he has been through… You aren't a criminal, you are the innocent victim."

Naofumi started to choke up.

"If you can only trust a slave to stay at your side…" Raphtalia began.

"Then put the Slave Crest back on us, and let us help you," Shirou continued.

That did it. Tears started spilling freely over Naofumi's cheeks. His arm wrapped tight around Raphtalia, even as his other hand closed around Shirou's hand on his shoulder. He had accepted their words as genuine, and the moment he did, the darkness that had blackened and twisted the world seemed to lift from his perceptions.

"Huh, what?" Naofumi looked, truly looked, at Shirou and Raphtalia, and… "How, when did you…?"

"Demi-humans like us, Naofumi-sama, aren't like humans. We grow as we Level," Shirou explained. He had sat down beside Naofumi, and rested his shoulder against Naofumi's own. "We grew up some time ago. You simply weren't in any state to notice."

Naofumi tightened his hold on them. That's right, he hadn't noticed, just like he had not noticed their words. He had allowed his anger and his despair to overwhelm him, and he had numbed himself to the world to cope. It allowed him to function, but he cut himself off so totally that he had not noticed them grow up, had not noticed their constant support, hadn't noticed their kind words.

_The words I wanted to hear were always right there._

Several minutes passed while they remained huddled together. Unnoticed by the three, the Spear Hero behind them was having an argument with the other Heroes, and the nobles in attendance had started to leave. They had not gotten the show they had been promised, and they left grumbling, even as Naofumi allowed himself to cry, ignoring all that was going on around him as he enjoyed the sudden warmth he felt and simply let go.

For the first time in weeks, Naofumi felt truly alive again.

* * *

Before the feast was over and after Naofumi had dried his tears, they had retired to some room that hadn't been used in a while. Probably a servant's room, one that was desperately in need of cleaning if the layer of dust covering everything was any indication.

He ignored that, and looked toward Shirou and Raphtalia. They had a lot to discuss, and he wanted to set a few things straight. But before he could…

"Here, Naofumi-sama."

Raphtalia, it seemed, had stolen some sandwiches from the feast and wrapped them up in some kind of fabric. She offered one to him now.

"I noticed you weren't eating much during the feast, so I took a few things to eat later."

Naofumi wasn't really hungry, but he was loath to reject any kind of kindness from either of his former slaves. He gratefully accepted the offering.

"Thanks," he said, raising the sandwich to his lips. He could not taste anything, but it was the thought that counted. His eyes flew wide when he took a bite and chewed. "It's good!" he exclaimed, chewing faster, his sense of taste having somehow returned. Naofumi did not question it he just took the chance to enjoy food for the first time in weeks.

Was he imagining things? He took another bite and was rewarded with another rush of flavor.

"What is it?" Shirou questioned.

"It… I… I can taste it."

Shirou and Raphtalia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ever since they framed me, I haven't been able to taste anything," Naofumi explained, wondering why he could taste things now.

"Hmm, I've heard somewhere before that, if you are depressed enough, you can lose your sense of taste," Shirou mussed, then shook his head. "I was wondering why you never seemed to enjoy food."

"Especially because Naofumi-sama always make such delicious food," Raphtalia agreed, smiling. She turned towards the Shield Hero. "Let's enjoy all kinds of delicious food together from now on, Naofumi-sama!"

Again, even if he continued to eat, tears started to well in Naofumi's eyes. Someone, two someones in fact, believed in him. That fact alone made him feel lighter, and made his sense of taste return. Who knew that being trusted and believed in could make a person feel so much better. He certainly hadn't.

"What should we do tomorrow? Should we grind out some Levels? Or go out and make money?" Raphtalia questioned.

"We also have to see if my armor can be fixed," Shirou said, fingering one of the holes Motoyasu's Chaos Thrust Skill had made in it. "I hope it won't be too expensive."

"We can take a look at that once we have gotten that cash reward," Naofumi said, having beaten back his tears and finished his sandwich.

They would have to set out, again, and grow stronger for the next Wave. But this time, he would do it with people he knew he could trust. While he didn't care for this vile world, the fact that there are people who believed in him in spite of everything made him want to stay positive, for them if nothing else, and actually move forward for a change instead of just trying to stay alive.

It was a whole new world, full of dreams and adventures, like an anime or a game. But it was a horrible place as well. But Naofumi… he still wanted to try. He wanted to try for himself and for Shirou and Raphtalia, for those that believed in him.

But to do that, they would first have to discuss a few things.

"Right," Naofumi nodded, as if deciding something. "You two won't be getting Slave Crests again."

"Huh?/What?" two confused replies greeted his sudden assertion.

"I trust you two," Naofumi said it as a matter of fact. "Why would I place a Slave Crest curse back on you after everything you both have done for me?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I… would have thought of it more like a sign of _our _trust in you," Shirou said hesitantly.

Raphtalia made a sound of agreement.

Naofumi knew why Shirou hesitated saying that, even if the Shield Hero know with an iron certainty that Shirou would follow through on his words of reapplying the Slave Crest. As would Raphtalia, and that thought provoked a feeling of what Naofumi could only describe as a parental love for them both.

But…

_I hate being a slave, I hate being owned like a piece of meat. _

If those words hadn't been uttered, Naofumi would have had no issue on reapplying the Slave Crest to either of his former slaves. It would have been a symbolic gesture and a visible mark of their trust in him. He would never again have used the Slave Crest's power anyway.

But with Shirou's words and feelings out in the open, he decided against it. Both Shirou and Raphtalia had more than earned his trust. Now it was up to him to live up to it.

"You two aren't my slaves anymore," Naofumi said. "In spite of all the bad things I did, in spite of me pushing you and making you both fight, you two still decided to believe in me. I'd… much rather have you both as my companions, instead of being my slaves."

Shirou and Raphtalia shared a glance, then turned their attention back to Naofumi.

"I… do like the sound of that better," Shirou admitted.

"So long as I can stay by your side, Naofumi-sama, I'll be happy," Raphtalia said, beaming.

Naofumi chuckled, another rush of warmth almost making him feel giddy. He held out his hand to his former slaves, and they took it without hesitation.

"To a new beginning," Naofumi said.

Suddenly, with no warning, the Legendary Shield changed shape. Naofumi gasped as several pop-ups appeared in his field of vision.

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (small)]**

**[Companion Stat Growth up (small) – Provides small bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield II Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (small)]**

**[Companion Stat Growth up (small) – Provides small bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield III Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (medium)]**

**[Companion Stat Growth up (medium) – Provides medium bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield IV Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (large)]**

**[Companion Stat Growth up (large) – Provides large bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)] **

Naofumi blinked rapidly as he processed the pop-ups and the accompanying information. He laughed beneath his breath. "Well, if anything, we are off to a good start," he commented and relayed the effects of the Companion Series of shields he had just unlocked to Shirou and Raphtalia.

"Um, I also want to say something," Shirou said. Naofumi and Raphtalia turned their attention to him. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I haven't been entirely honest with you both. I have not lied about anything I said, but I did hide some things about me."

"I thought that would be a given," Naofumi said, waving away his words. "It's not like I asked anything of your past before. Neither have I asked Raphtalia. Considering you were my slave, it's only natural you wouldn't start volunteering your life story to me."

Shirou shifted on his feet. "Honestly, Naofumi," he said, dropping the Master moniker. "When I first found out you were summoned from another world, I kind of wanted to mention this straight away, but I didn't know how you would take it and didn't think it would do anyone any good. So I didn't say anything, but now that we've come to this point, I don't want to keep any secrets."

Naofumi and Raphtalia were now giving him their full and undivided attention.

Shirou smiled tiredly. "Let me reintroduce myself, I'm Emiya Shirou," he said, causing Naofumi's eyes to widen. "And I have no idea how or why I arrived in this world…"


	10. Intermediate 1

**Sword and Shield**

**Intermediate 1: Magic**

Naofumi woke up with a start, and it took a moment to remember where he was. He was still in the disused servant's room he and his party had retired to after the feast. Looking around, he found Raphtalia sleeping on the only bed in the room, Shirou having fallen asleep in a chair, and he himself sitting up against the foot of said bed where he had been resting.

The man slowly got up, stretching his limbs and working out the kinks in his body from his less than ideal sleeping arrangements. He was used to it, though. Compared to sleeping out in the wilds, they now at least had a roof over their heads.

As he woke up, Naofumi mentally took stock of what had happened the night before. A feast. A rigged duel. Blatant cheating. Losing said duel. Shirou and Raphtalia being released from their Slave Crests. Losing it and unlocking the Shield of Rage. Shirou and Raphtalia choosing to stay by his side and believe in him in spite of everything. Unlocking the Companion Series of shields. Shirou regaling them with his actual and completely unexpected backstory.

Even as he felt a flush of warmth at the thought of his companions, Naofumi's eyes settled on the snoozing Shirou. To say that he had been surprised would have been an understatement, but he did not disbelieve the words of the boy in a young adult's body. Even if he hadn't earned Naofumi's trust the night before, the following question and answering session left no room for doubt that Shirou came from an alternate Japan, just like he and the other 3 Heroes had.

Shirou's name, even without knowing his surname, should have been a dead giveaway. Naofumi had just thought it a coincidence. That just showed how out of sorts he had been over the last month.

That did bring up the question how in the hell Shirou had ended up in this world. The Heroes, himself included, had been summoned, but Shirou had said that he had just gone to bed one day and woke up in a cage the next with a Slave Crest on his chest and odd new additions to his body, somehow having been transformed into a demi-human. He had no clue how he ended up here.

Naofumi knew that magic was a thing in Shirou's world, but that by itself did not explain how the kid had ended up in this world. If Naofumi had to hazard a guess, there were three possibilities. One, Shirou had been summoned just like he had been. Two, it had happened spontaneously. Or three, one of the Magi of Shirou's world had, for some reason, punted the boy into this world for unknown reasons and motives.

All three were possible, but there was no way to figure out how it had actually happened.

"Wait, that's not exactly true," Naofumi mussed under his breath.

Shirou had somehow ended up in the less than kind care of the Slave Trader. Asking the Slave Trader how he got his hands on him might yield a clue of how Shirou had been transported to this world and had been changed into a demi-human. There was even a very, _very_ small chance that it could lead to information on how to get back to their old worlds. Beating the Waves had been offered as a possible method to go home, but as it was the thrash King to have postulated this, Naofumi's was loath simply to believe it. There was no guarantee that beating the Waves meant going back home.

_It's decided, we'll be visiting the Slave Trader later today. Ugh. What a pain. _

That decided, the Shield Hero turned his thoughts to other matters. He raised his shield, and pulled up his Menu.

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield II – Base Defense 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth up (small) (mastered)]**

Good, Companion Shield II had been mastered while he slept. The first shield in the Companion Series had already been mastered in the middle of the night, just after their party's long conversation came to an end. Now, onto the next. Companion Shield II was changed out for Companion Shield III.

That done, Naofumi scrolled through his Menu, and pulled up the information regarding the Cursed Series and the Shield of Rage. A pop-up appeared in his field of vision.

**[Curse Series]**

**[A weapon that grants power and consumes the user. Hero! Do not use it.]**

Naofumi frowned at that description. He dismissed the pop-up.

**[Shield of Rage – Base Defense 125 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield (Attack) / Iron Maiden **

**Special Ability: Self Curse Burning, Strength Up – The more the Hero loses themselves to anger, the stronger they become.**

Jesus, the Shield of Rage's base Defense Stat was insane. All his other shields had a base Defense Stat that was at best a fifth of the Shield of Rage, perhaps a little more. And the abilities that came with it… he read the description. He swallowed. This…this actually gave him a potent attack capability that was all his own, though he couldn't use Iron Maiden yet, because he lacked the base form of the Change Shield Skill. To say nothing of the Special Abilities. They sounded awesome, in a cruel, wicked sort of way. If he equipped this shield, he would capable of fighting on his own.

Of course, any time he did use it, he risked losing himself to his anger. That made it a last resort, but, even considering this power's evil slant, the fact that he _could _fight on his own if required was a relief to say the least.

Naofumi heard a grunt, and he looked up from his Menu. "Morning, Shirou."

"Morning," the demi-human greeted back as he got up from his chair, rolling his neck and stretching his limbs.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not really, but I have had worse," Shirou admitted truthfully. "What will we be doing today?"

Naofumi closed his Menu. "First we will get that cash reward. Then we'll visit the Old Man and see if he can fix your armor. I was also thinking of swinging by the Slave Trader."

Shirou's face soured at the mention of the Slave Trader. "Why would you want to visit _that_ guy?"

"Mostly to ask how you ended up in his care," Naofumi said, much to Shirou's surprise. "He might've some information how you came to this world, or maybe even how to go back."

"I doubt it," Shirou said, but shook his head. "Still, I guess it couldn't hurt. But, is it alright if I don't go with you to see him? I don't think I could stomach being in that guy's vicinity for long."

"I don't like the guy either, you know," Naofumi grumbled.

"It's more than just _not liking _him," Shirou said with a bit of heat. "His entire stock and trade is vile. If it was up to me, I'd shut his entire operation down ASAP. If only…"

"…If only that would solve anything," Naofumi sighed. "The basic situation hasn't changed. We don't have the resources or the knowledge to help the slaves. If we tried anything, we would just make things worse. And even if we shut him down, or killed him, someone else would simply take his place and continue where he left off."

"You don't have to spell I out, I'm well aware," Shirou said. "The only thing that would work is the outlawing of slavery wholesale, and even then we'd still need the recourses to somehow provide for the slaves while we find them homes and a means to support themselves."

"You have thought this through, huh?" Naofumi said with a raised eyebrow.

"It has been in the back of my mind ever since I was brought to this world, but it was only since our conversation in the forest that I started looking at it from other angles," Shirou admitted. "Like you said, there is nothing for it but to amass recourses, power and connections, and hopefully, once we have amassed enough, we might be able to help them. In the meantime, I just have to grit my teeth and bare it."

Naofumi nodded, then sighed. "Well, you don't have to come if you don't want to. You could go and visit the Old Man in the meantime and get your armor checked out."

"Actually," Shirou said. "I would also like to see if I might be able to get a bow."

"You know how to use one?" Naofumi blinked, surprised.

"I practiced kyūdō almost daily back home," Shirou answered.

"Still, practicing archery is different than trying to hit a moving target," Naofumi cautioned. "Do you think you could hit a monster during life combat?"

"Yes," Shirou was not the prideful sort, but he did have confidence in his archery skills.

"Good enough for me," Naofumi decided, running a hand through his hair. "We will first have to see how much we will get for a cash reward. We'll set some aside for a bow and arrows."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Naofumi said, waving his hand. "It's high time we got a ranged attacker anyway. Could you wake Raphtalia while I get some fresh air? I'll probably need a quiet moment to myself to prepare if I am going to have to be in a room with Trash, Bitch, and those three Cardinal Hero Stooges."

"Trash? Bitch?" Shirou blinked, nonplussed. Who the Cardinal Hero Stooges were was self-explanatory, but who did Naofumi mean by Trash and Bitch?

Naofumi shrugged. "The King is a trash King, and Malty is a bitch through and through. I have every intention of forgetting their names as fast as possible, and I've already forgotten the King's name. But I still need to refer to them as something. I think Trash and Bitch fit them perfectly."

Shirou didn't say anything, but his flat, deadpan gaze did wonders to convey his feelings on Naofumi's rather childish decision. "How…creative of you."

"Oh, blow it out of your ass and go wake Raphtalia. I'll be back in ten minutes."

* * *

"Trash and Bitch, eh?" the Old Man of the Weapon Shop said, looking over Shirou's Leather Armor set that was sprawled over his counter. The Iron supplementary armor pieces laid beside it. "Kind of childish, but considering what you told me happened last night, I can't really blame Shield Boy."

"I was of the same mind," Shirou groused, having changed out into a plain set of clothes that the Old Man had provided. "But then they tried to pull another stunt. They actually tried to cheat us out of our cash reward by claiming it as expenses for removing our Slave Crests. Those people really are the definition of shameless. Being named Trash and Bitch is putting it lightly."

"You don't say," the Old Man said, tracing one of the holes in the Leather Armor with his fingers.

"At least the Bow and the Sword Hero aren't all bad," Shirou said. "They protested what the King was trying to do. We didn't get nearly as much as the others, but 500 silver coins is not nothing."

"True, but have they helped in any other way?"

"A little," Shirou said. "They didn't stop me when I intervened in the duel between Naofumi and the Spear Hero. The cheating was so blatant, they probably saw no reason to stop me. They also told the Spear Hero off for the crap he tried to pull after the duel."

The Old Man made a non-committal hum and finished his inspection of Shirou's damaged armor. "It seems you are in luck, kid. The damage is fairly clean and minor, and the Iron armor pieces, which would have been harder to fix, came out unscathed. I'd be able to fix these holes for 10 silver pieces. I should have it ready to go again before the day is up."

"Thanks," Shirou said. 10 pieces of silver clinked on the countertop a second later.

"Pleasure doing business," the Old Man said.

"I was also looking if I could get a bow?" Shirou inquired.

"I do have a few of those," the Old Man waved over to a rack to the side where over a dozen bows of varying make hung.

"Any recommendations," Shirou asked as he ran his eyes over the bows.

"Depends. What kind of funds do you have?"

"I was given 150 pieces of silver from our cash reward, so now 140 pieces of silver."

The Old Man got out behind his counter and picked a brown longbow with a silvery bowstring. He also picked a plain quiver filled with several dozen arrows. He deposited the bow and the quiver filled with arrows on the counter and gave the demi-human a confident grin and a thumbs up.

"I am certain these pieces will suit your needs," the Old Man said. "An Oak Longbow and a Mundane Quiver full of Iron Arrows."

"Mundane Quiver?" Shirou questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah. Some quivers have special magical properties woven into them," the Old Man explained. "These quivers can imbue arrows with Enchantments that improve speed and attack power. Some of the more exotic quivers can automatically apply a coating of poison onto arrows, or summon the arrows back into the quiver after having been used. If a quiver doesn't have any of that, we just call them Mundane Quivers."

Shirou whistled. "Those magical quivers sound impressive. Must be expensive, too."

"Expensive is putting it lightly, kid," the Old Man said. "And they are rare as well, which is the reason why magical quivers are so expensive. Precious few people know how to make them and very few establishment sell magical quivers. The only place where you can find a magical quiver that I know of with any degree of regularity is Zeltoble, the country of mercenaries and merchants."

"Zeltoble," Shirou repeated, blinking. For some reason, that country sounded familiar…

* * *

"What's with the egg?"

Instead of a greeting as the Shield Hero's party met back up outside the Old Man's Weapon Shop, those were the first words out of Shirou's mouth. Granted, they were justified as Raphtalia was carrying a container that had a large, cream colored egg inside.

"It's a monster egg," Naofumi explained. "Apparently, the Slave Trader runs a side business dealing in monsters. Think of it as a long term investment."

"Investment is not exactly the word I'd use. More like a gamble," Raphtalia huffed. "This egg cost a 100 pieces of silver, and we have no idea what might hatch from it."

Naofumi shrugged. "Eh, if it can fight, than we will have another party member that we will not need to buy equipment for. And if it isn't a good fighter, we will probably be able to sell it for more than we bought it for. It's a win-win as far as I am concerned. Besides, I've always liked to take care of pets and animals have always been comfortable around me."

"I'd say that our sudden influx of money has loosened your purse strings, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia rebuked.

Shirou had to a hold back a chuckle at how blunt Raphtalia had become. He sobered quickly. "And? Did the Slave Trader know anything?"

"Afraid not," Naofumi sighed. "Apparently, one of his men found you passed out in one of the side streets close to his establishment, extra parts and everything. They took you before you woke up and slapped a Slave Crest on you. That's all they know about you."

Shirou frowned. "I'd figured it would be something like that," he grumbled. "Anyway, the Old Man said he could fix my armor for 10 pieces of silver and he'd have it finished by the end of the day."

"Good. And that bow and arrows that you wanted?"

"Found and bought. I'll come and pick everything up later today. No reason to lug all of that around if I'm coming back anyway," Shirou said. "What's next?"

"I was thinking of visiting the local Apothecary," Naofumi answered. "We still have a few extra potions left over from the Wave. It won't hurt to sell our surplus."

A few minutes later, they stepped into the shop of the old, grouchy Apothecary of Castle Town. Said man turned towards them as they stepped inside, and surprised all three of them with a smile.

"Ah. I was hoping you three would be stopping by," the Old Apothecary said.

Shirou blinked, surprised. The Old Apothecary usually looked sullen. So why was he looking so happy now? It threw him off, to say nothing of Naofumi, who looked clearly on edge.

"For what?" Raphtalia asked.

"I have some family in Riyute Village, two grandkids. You saved my little girl's life and came to the aid of both of them during the Wave," the Old Apothecary explained. "They stopped by shortly before they returned home yesterday night and asked me to help you if and when you stepped into my shop again."

Naofumi's eyes widened as he realized who the Old Apothecary was referring to. "You're talking about Zeph and Nina! _You _are their grandfather?"

Huh, small world. Shirou felt something warm inside of him at Naofumi receiving an honest word of a gratitude for what he had done during the Wave.

"Yeah, and in thanks I'd like to…" the Old Apothecary placed several well worn books on the counter. "Zeph told me you're quite talented in compounding and are already working on mid-level difficulty potions and compounds. These books will help you further your skills and some even hold recipes for high-level potions and compounds. I'd reckon you are ready to take them on."

Even as Naofumi hesitated, since they couldn't read those books anyway, Shirou gladly gathered the books and graced the Old Apothecary with a smile.

"Thank you. We will do our best."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. And… I also have one other gift for you."

The three of them watched curiously as the Old Apothecary placed a potion on the counter. It looked perfectly ordinary, but instead of the liquid in the potion bottle being clear, it was a bright gold, close to fluorescent.

"Please take this and… oh, before I forget. The owner of the Magic Shop wanted you guys to stop by as well. Anyway, this potion is…"

After the Old Apothecary had explained the mystery potions properties and worth, they were able to sell their surplus of potions. The Old Apothecary bought them for a very generous price and Naofumi used the extra funds to buy new potions ingredients and a new set of tools to use in his compounding. The old set of tools had started to get worn down after repeated use. And what did he do with the old set? He fed them to his shield, of course.

**Requirement met: [Mortar Shield Unlocked – Base Defence 5 – Equip Bonus: Compounding + 2 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Beaker Shield Unlocked – Base Defence 12 – Equip Bonus: Compounding + 3 (unmastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Druggist Mortar Shield Unlocked – Base Defence 10 – Equip Bonus: Collection + 2 (unmastered)]**

* * *

"Excuse us!"

"Ah! The Shield Hero and his companions. I have to thank you for saving my daughter and grandkids. If it weren't for you three, I would have lost my only remaining family," the owner of the Magic Shop greeted them happily and politely as they stepped inside.

Shirou blinked. That greeting was not surprising in and of itself, and just like with the Old Apothecary, the fact that Naofumi was receiving honest thanks for his efforts gave Shirou a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. But the fact that said owner of was a pudgy old lady dressed like a stereotypical witch threw him just a little. He had very little experience with Magi of his own world, but he was certain that they weren't usually dressed quite this stereotypical. At least, not many of them.

"I heard you wanted to see us?" Naofumi asked.

Shirou looked around the shop. Staves and wands were stacked up in racks. The shelves were lined with old, dusty books, and there were a number of crystal balls lined up behind the counter. Just like the owner of the shop, the shop itself was just like what you would expect from a Magic Shop.

He was quite interested to hear what the Magic Shop Owner had to say, as it probably pertained to her area of expertise: magic. Ever since he had been brought to this world, he had been wondering if the magic of this world was the same as his Magecraft, or if it worked off other principles.

"Yes, I did. I want to properly reward you three for what you did during the Wave. Tell me, what do you know about magic?"

Naofumi's and Raphtalia's eyes briefly darted towards Shirou. Naofumi shook his head. "Except that it exists, very little."

"I had figured as much," the Magic Shop Owner smiled. "If you would like, I could teach you the basic principles now and get all three of you started on learning how to use magic."

Shirou's eyes shined with excitement. This is what he had been hoping for. Kiritsugu had only taught him so much, and he knew that there were large gaps in his knowledge. And even if the magic of this world was entirely different from his own, he still might be able to learn something useful.

"Go ahead," Naofumi said, not quite being able to hide his own eagerness.

"There are a dozen principles governing the use of magic and I could spend several days talking about said principles, but I suspect that none of us have the time for that. Don't worry, though. I'll provide several texts with all the information you will need. For now, I'll only start with the foundation you'll need to get started."

Naofumi's eagerness took a slight hit hearing that. Ugh, more reading. And first he'd have to learn to read the local language before he could even begin properly learning. There was nothing for it, though. He had no other choice, if not for maximizing his future profits and the enticing possibility of learning magic, then for convenience sake if nothing else.

"There are three attributes that dictate what kind of magic a person can learn," the Magic Shop Owner began, taking on a lecturing posture. "Element. Origin. And one's Magic Circuits. These Magic Circuits in turn can be rated in both the amount a person has and their quality."

"Elements are the basic substances that shape the World, and a magic user has the capacity to at least manipulate one of said Elements. Some people have the capacity to manipulate more than one Element, and a few can even manipulate all Elements. But people like that are vanishingly rare."

The Magic Shop Owner had begun to pace as she explained.

"Origins, on the other hand, can be used to describe precise details about a person. Unlike Elements, there is no way I can give a concise explanation about Origins. Though a gross over simplification, for now it will suffice to know that an Origin is one's starting point and directs one's actions throughout life. It can be described as a sort of base instinct of a living being. This instinct does not necessarily have to be followed, but most people live their lives according to their Origin without realizing it. An Origin can be basically anything. So long as it exists in concept, it can be a person's Origin."

"Origins are relevant for learning magic in the sense that magic that is at least tangentially related to one's Origin is much easier to learn. Magic that aligns with both one's Element and Origin even more so."

Shirou was listening with rapt attention. Everything the Magic Shop Owner had explained so far lined up with what his dad had taught him, but she had further expanded on several things. And, he had to admit, that she was much, _much _better at explaining things than Kiritsugu.

"And finally, Magic Circuits. Magic Circuits are a universal trait that every person possesses."

Shirou's eyebrows rose. That was _definitely_ different compared to his world.

"Magic Circuits are just as complicated a concept as Origins, but as gaining control of one's Magic Circuits is one of the very first step for learning magic, I'll go in a bit more detail."

The Magic Shop Owner stopped her pacing and turned towards them. "The purpose of Magic Circuits is to convert the Life Force energy of a person, an energy most magic users call Od, into a form usable for spells and supply said magical energy to the spell in question. Life Force energy is constantly produced as long as a person lives, but the amount and quality of a person's Magic Circuits dictates just how much Life Force energy can be converted into magical energy and can be used for spells at any given time. When the limit of the Magic Circuits are reached, said person can no longer perform spells."

"Actually, it would be more accurate to say it becomes inadvisable to do so, as continued use is liable to damage the Magical Circuits through overheating. On a side note, it's from this principle that Magic Water works. Contrary to what most people think, Magic Water does not restore your magical energy. It simply removes the heat caused by the use of Magic Circuits and cancels out the strain the Magic Circuits had been under from channelling Life Force energy and converting it into magical energy. Magical Water is literally a Health Potion for your Magic Circuits."

"The amount and quality of Magic Circuits people have can vary wildly, and while the amount of Magic Circuits a person is set from birth, their quality is subject to Levelling. The higher one's Level, the higher the quality of one's Magic Circuits becomes. That said, some people are born with Magic Circuits that are very high quality from the start that will only improve further through Levelling. It's because of this, combined with the amount of Magic Circuits a person is born with, that the capability to perform magic between people can vary wildly."

"Oh, and before you can use magic, your Magic Circuits need to be opened first. Magic Circuits are dormant until Life Force energy is run through them and magical energy is produced for the first time. If you have been wondering why there isn't a Stat for magic in your Status Menu, that's why. And don't worry, any Levelling you might have done up till now will have increased the quality of your Magic Circuits. It simply hasn't been visible in you Status Menu, because your Magic Circuits haven't been opened yet."

The Magic Shop Owner smiled at the flabbergasted look she received from Raphtalia and Naofumi for the longwinded and complicated explanation. "Don't worry, everything I just told you is included in the texts I'll be giving you. There's a reason I wanted to explain this personally. Magic is fiendishly complicated at the best of times."

Shirou hesitantly raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"What exactly do you mean by "opening" the Magic Circuits? I've been taught a little magic, but I've heard anything along the lines of what you just said," Shirou said.

The Magic Shop Owner blinked. "You have never had your Magic Circuits opened? If so, it should be impossible for you to perform any magic."

"But we've seen him use magic several times now," Raphtalia commented. Naofumi nodded.

The Magic Shop Owner frowned and held out her hand. "Let me check your body. I will use a spell to see if your Magic Circuits are open or not. It will also allow me to check how many Magic Circuits you have and their quality. Maybe your teacher used other terms when he taught you."

Shirou took her hand. A second later, he felt a tingle go through him as foreign magical energy briefly surged through his body.

"Strange," the Magic Shop Owner said, frown deepening. "You have 27 Magic Circuits that are a little above average, but they are still dormant. What exactly do you do when you perform a spell?"

Shirou explained. He knew something was wrong when the Magic Shop Owner gave him an alarmed look.

"Dear me," she said. "From the sound of it, when you say you "make" a Circuit, you are actually converting your nerves into makeshift Magic Circuits. That's highly dangerous. Even a single mistake could fry you from the inside out and kill you."

There was a moment of silence.

"As you might imagine, that's not normally the case," the Magic Shop Owner said. "Once one's Magic Circuits have been opened, they can then be activated at will through a mental trigger and there's no risk of death. At least, not by just activating your Magic Circuits," she shook her head. "I don't know how you came to belief that you have to "make" a Magic Circuit, but whoever taught you must have been either terribly misinformed or a terrible teacher."

Shirou could guess which. He had noticed early on in his teachings that Kiritsugu wasn't the best teacher. The man always seemed to have trouble explaining complicated concepts in understandable words. Shirou himself had to have misinterpreted something in one of his first lessons.

_Dammit, dad… _

"Thankfully," the Magic Shop Owner continued, breaking Shirou from his thoughts. "Your bad habit doesn't seem to have done any permanent damage. I will be able to activate the Magic Circuits of all three of you, and _you_ will never have to do any such "make" a Magic Circuit nonsense again."

Shirou bowed his head in thanks. Naofumi and Raphtalia copied his action.

"But first, lets figure out everyone's Element and Origin, shall we?"

The Magic Shop Owner led them to her countertop in the back of her shop. She placed two crystal balls atop the counter, both completely clear and see through.

"I'll use these crystal balls to assess what your Element and Origin are."

"How does it work?" Raphtalia asked.

"It's quite simple, really. These crystal balls are just ordinary glass, but I've cast a spell on them that will make it possible for that glass to reflect one thing and one thing only. In grossly simple terms, I'll be instructing the crystal balls to reflect only the Element and Origin of the one touching them. That said, the images produced this way are very much abstract, usually just a mesh of colors, but trained professionals like myself can interpret these images, deducing a person's Element and Origin."

"What do we need to do?" Naofumi asked.

"Just place your hands on the crystal balls. I'll do the rest. Who would like to go first?"

Naofumi stepped forward, silently declaring that he would go first. He placed his hands on the crystal balls, one on each. The crystal balls briefly flared with color, then seemed to settle down. The left one was a deep, rich brown, and the right one was a wild mishmash of bright orange, light blue and a deep green.

"Hmm," the Magic Shop Owner took a moment to take a long and deep look at the crystal balls. "You have the Element of Earth and the Origin of Aegis. How fitting for you, Shield Hero."

"What do you mean?" Naofumi blinked.

"Aegis can be described as doing something under the protection and the support of a benevolent source. It implies a helpful nature, a need to protect and support others and perhaps a natural talent in leadership. I'd reckon it's quite fitting for the Shield Hero," the Magic Shop Owner explained.

Shirou and Raphtalia shared a smile. Naofumi frowned.

"As for what this means for your magic studies," the Magic Shop Owner continued. "You are suited for learning Recovery and Support magic. Of course, you are also able to learn Earth magic. Earth magic that is geared towards defence would be especially well suited for you to learn."

Naofumi picked up an important word in that last sentence. _Especially_. "But, I could also use Earth magic to attack?" he asked eagerly.

"Naturally," the Magic Shop Owner said with a nod. "As attacking is the most far removed from your defence and support oriented nature, learning spells for attack would be more difficult for you. Spells for defence, entrapment and hindrance would be much easier, but using Earth magic spells for attack wouldn't be impossible for you. Just harder."

All of a sudden, Naofumi felt much, _much _more motivated to learn how to read. He'd be willing to put in any amount of effort if he could learn to attack, without running the risk of using the Shield of Rage, and be able fight back on his own.

"Next I'll take a look at the nice young lady behind you."

Naofumi stepped back, the eager grin still on his face, and Raphtalia took his place, having given the Shield Hero the monster egg she had been carrying. Without a word, she placed her hands atop the crystal balls. The one on the left became a swirling whirlpool of black and white. The one on the right became a bright pink.

"No surprise here. Raccoon demi-humans are known for having an affinity for Light and Shadow magic, and you, young lady, are no exception in that regard. You have the dual Element of Light and Shadow. As for your Origin… it's Commitment. A good combination, I must say."

Raphtalia raised an eyebrow, a question in her eyes.

"Naturally, you'll be capable of performing Light and Shadow magic, but people who have both Light and Shadow Elements are also naturally suited to learn spells that deal with illusions," the Magic Shop Owner explained. "One of the main stumbling blocks for learning illusions is to actually believe that the illusion you have constructed is good enough to fool another person. When it comes to magic, intent is everything. Any kind of doubt in your mind will cause the illusion to crumble instantly. With an Origin like Commitment, I believe this will not be a problem for you. You should be able to commit to the believe of your illusion's effectiveness much easier than others."

"Now," the Magi Shop Owner turned to Shirou. "It's your turn, young man."

Shirou stepped up, a small flame of anticipation burning in his gut. He had known beforehand of the existence of Elements and Origins, but Kiritsugu hadn't been able to tell Shirou what his Element and Origin were, though he never explained why he couldn't. But now, he would finally find out.

He rested his hands on the crystal balls, but the result he got was much less ambiguous compared to Raphtalia and Naofumi. Both crystal balls displayed the ghostly image of a sword. These swords in the crystal balls were completely identical, except that the outline of the sword in the left constantly shifted from black to white and back.

"My word," the Magic Shop Owner said, blinking rapidly, looking closer at the crystal balls.

"What? What is it?"

The Magic Shop Owner didn't answer. She continued to look at the crystal balls with a focus that was almost frightening. After a long moment, she closed her eyes and leaned back.

"I have read about this, but I have never seen it in person before," she said, opening her eyes. "You have an aligned Element and Origin. They are both Sword."

"Sword," Shirou repeated, not quite believing it. Raphtalia and Naofumi also made noises of surprise. "Having Sword as an Origin doesn't seem out of the ordinary, but as an Element…"

"As I said, I have only read about this, but there have been cases like this before," the Magic Shop Owner declared, crossing her arms. "Sometimes, when one's Origin is strongly expressed outwardly, the Element of a person can be overwritten by their Origin, resulting in the Element becoming the same as said person's Origin."

"But what does that mean?" Naofumi cut in.

"For learning magic? That this young man will be the definition of a specialist. He will be brilliant at learning magic that is in some way related to the concept of Sword. Any magic beside that, though, it would be damn near impossible for him to learn. Except…"

"Except what?" Shirou asked curiously.

The Magic Shop Owner tapped the crystal ball that displayed one's Element. "Except you still possess Elements of Light and Shadow, as is customary for a raccoon demi-human. The concept of Sword is so strongly expressed in you that the Elements of Light and Shadow are almost completely blotted out, but they _are _still there."

"So, Shirou will still be able to learn Light and Shadow magic, as well as illusions, just like me?" Raphtalia mussed.

"Technically, yes, though it would be difficult. Fiendishly so, in fact, but it is possible," the Magic Shop Owner said. She turned towards Shirou. "I'd recommend focussing on Sword related magic, as that will come the most easiest to you but if you're willing and capable of putting in the required time and effort, learning Light and Shadow magic, as well as illusions, is possible."

Shirou nodded, barely holding back how eager he was. Hard work had never scared him before.

"Before we continue, however, might I ask what kind of magic you are able to perform right now?" the Magic Shop Owner asked. "I must admit, because of your unusual situation, I'm unsure just what grimoires I should give you. The magic you can already perform might give me a clue."

"You make it sound as if these grimoires are more than just books," Raphtalia cut in.

"Dear me, didn't I explain how grimoires work?" the Magic Shop Owner blinked. "I'm sorry, it seems I have lost track a little of what I have and haven't told you."

"It's fine. It's been a long conversation, and you have already told us a lot of useful things," Naofumi waved off.

"Thank you, but back to grimoires," the Magic Shop Owner said. "Before someone can learn magic, they must first learn the Magic Alphabet, so that they can decipher the symbols in a grimoire. These symbols appear different to every person who reads them based on their Element, Origin and even their personality. Besides that, if your nature is too far removed from the subject of a grimoire, it will be impossible for you to decipher that grimoire. A grimoire on Fire magic would be incomprehensible for someone who doesn't have the Fire Element."

"Because of this you can't have someone else read a grimoire for you and learn magic that way," she continued to explain. "Everyone develops their own way of casting a certain spell as they decipher a grimoire and make the magic detailed inside their own. Magic, after all, is very much a personalized art."

Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia were nodding along. It was another longwinded explanation, but it made sense.

"So, back to my previous question…" the Magic Shop Owner said leadingly, looking at Shirou.

"I only know three spells," Shirou said, ticking them off on his fingers. "Reinforcement, which allows me to enhance an object's purpose. Structural Analysis, which allows me to understand the structure and composition of an object. And Projection, which allows me to create objects out of raw magical energy," he said, then added. "Also, this isn't a spell of mine, but… I've just recently discovered that I automatically gain a lot of information whenever I lay eyes on a sword, no effort required."

The Magic Shop Owner nodded, narrowing her eyes in thought. "That undoubtedly happens because of your aligned Element an Origin. A blade-only psychometry that works on sight…"

"Psychometry?"

"The divination of facts concerning an object through contact or proximity to said object," the Magic Shop Owner explained absently, her mind clearly being elsewhere. "What exactly can you tell about a sword after having seen it?"

"As of now? I can tell a sword's structure, the material it is made out of and the forging process."

"Hmm, you think you might be able to tell more?"

"I know I can," Shirou said, certain. "I can feel it. There's much more information to work with here in my mind. I just can't perceive it yet."

"That makes sense," the Magic Shop Owner agreed. "An object, sword or not, is much more than just how it was made. There's also the concept behind its creation and the history said object has accumulated in its existence. If your psychometry with swords goes that deep…who knows what kind of interesting applications that might have," she said, nodding her head. "If you, as you say, have only recently become aware of this phenomena it's probably because of unfamiliarity with this ability of yours that you cannot perceive all the information you receive."

"I dare say that being aware of your Element and Origin, and the opening of your Magic Circuits, will make it easier for you to master this ability. For the rest, I can only advice you to continue to practice and experiment," the Magic Shop Owner finished.

"I will," Shirou promised. No way in hell would he falter now that he had some direction in his studies in Magecraft.

Having finally finished her explanation, the Magic Shop Owner began bustling around her shop and took several grimoires of the shelves, murmuring beneath her breath as she collected the books. She then placed the grimoires on the counter in three neat piles.

"Grimoires on Earth, Recovery and Support Magic for the Shield Hero," she said, sliding the first pile of three books forward. "Grimoires on Light, Shadow and Illusion magic for the young lady," the second pile of another three books slid forward. "And last, grimoires on Enchantments, Material Transmutation and Applied Sword Magic for the young man," the last pile of books slid forward. "All of them are grimoires for beginners, so they are perfect for you three."

Then the Magic Shop Owner bend down, disappearing below the counter for a moment. She emerged a second later and placed another three thick books, one fairly thin book, and three potion bottles with blood colored liquid on the counter.

"And these are?" Naofumi asked.

The Magic Shop Owner pointed at the three thick, leather bound books. "These books hold all the basic principles on magic you will need to know before you can try and learn spells," she said, then indicate the much thinner book. "And this book has everything you need to know to learn the Magic Alphabet. You'll first have to understand the basic principles of magic, gain control of your Magic Circuits, as well as learn the Magic Alphabet before you can start trying to learn magic proper. I know it will be difficult and time consuming, especially considering your duties, but I'm certain all three of you have it in you to learn magic."

In spite of everything that they would need to learn and the sheer effort required to do so, Naofumi, Raphtalia and Shirou all looked excited at learning magic. Seeing that none of them appeared put off made the Magic Shop Owner smile.

"I can't wait to begin."

The Magic Shop Owner chuckled. "Hold your horses. These potions," she waved towards the stylized potion bottles. "Are called Miracle Work Potions. You'll be using these to open your Magic Circuits for the first time. Once you drink it, the magic contained in the liquid will force open your Magic Circuits and then flush itself out of your system as fast as possible. Oh, and it will deaden your nerves for a while, as well as apply a low strength, continues healing effect to you that will last for about a day."

"Deaden our nerves and heal us?" Shirou blinked. "Why?"

"Magic Circuits can be considered foreign elements in the body. Opening them up is little different than implanting and jump starting an organ that wasn't there before. Normally, this would be a quite painful procedure, not to mention dangerous," the Magic Shop Owner explained. "These Miracle Work Potions negates the risks involved. Not to mention ensures that you will be back on your feet in short order and make it so that you won't be in _too_ much pain."

Naofumi nodded, showing that he understood. He looked over everything the Magic Shop Owner was offering to them: the books on the principles of magic, the book – more of a pamphlet, really – on the Magic Alphabet, the grimoires and the Miracle Work Potions.

"How much for everything?" he asked.

"I'd like to give everything to you for free, but I would run myself out of business if I did," the Magic Shop Owner sighed. "Instead, I'll offer you a friend's price. 180 pieces of silver."

Naofumi held back a grimace. Even with the money they had made with selling their surplus of potions earlier, that would only leave them a little over 60 pieces of silver left. It had not been even a day and their cash reward was almost already completely spent.

_Well, in for penny in for a pound._ Naofumi grumbled inwardly. He sighed. "Could you throw in another one of those Miracle Work Potions?"

The Magic Shop Owner blinked. "Sure. That'll be 200 pieces of silver, then."

"Deal."

**Requirement met: [Magic Foundation Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 10 – Equip Bonus: Magic Stat Growth Up (small)] / Magic Circuit Maturation Adjustment (small) (unmastered)]**

**[Magic Stat Growth Up (small) – Provides small bonus Stat gain to Magic to both the Hero and his companions with each Level up]**

**[Magic Circuit Maturation Adjustment (small) – Allows for small adjustment to be made to Magic Circuits]**

* * *

"So, what's the plan?"

They'd left the Magic Shop behind and headed back to the Weapon Shop of the Old Man. There they had retrieved Shirou's fixed Leather Armor and Iron supplementary armor pieces, which he had immediately donned. He had also equipped the Oak Longbow and Mundane Quiver, which was slung over his shoulder and was filled with Iron Arrows. His Magic Steel Sword was sheathed at his side.

Shirou had to admit that, coupled with his raccoon features, that he now really looked like a character that wouldn't have been out of place in a fantasy novel. Like a humanoid adventurer from a different, but similar species.

They were standing just outside the Weapon Shop of the Old Man, discussing their next course of action.

"Not sure," Naofumi mussed. "From the sound of it, when we drink the Miracle Work Potions, we'll probably be out of it for a short while. I… don't feel comfortable leaving myself vulnerable here in Castle Town," he admitted. It was basically the belly of the beast for them.

"We could head back to Riyute Village," Shirou suggested. "The Wave happened just the other day, a lot of monster remains must still be lying around. We didn't get the chance to feed any of those monster remains to the Legendary Shield as all the heroes and their parties immediately headed back to Castle Town after the battle, so…"

"True," Naofumi said. He himself _had_ been rather cross that he didn't get the chance to feed his shield after the Wave's end. Those damn knights and that pompous leader of theirs. If it wasn't for the promise of a cash reward, he would have told them to shove their demands where the sun don't shine.

"Sound good to me," Raphtalia nodded. "We can gather all that we need to further improve Naofumi-sama's shield and rent a room at the Inn. Once there we can drink the Miracle Work Potions and get started on learning magic. From what the owner of the Magic Shop said, we'll probably be out of it for a couple of hours, maybe even a full day. It will probably be best to open our Circuits late in the evening, so that we can sleep it off and don't lose too much time."

"But we will also have to get a hang of opening and closing our Circuits, remember?" Shirou said in a cautioning fashion. "The owner of the Magic Shop also warned us that, if we don't get control of our Circuits and they open without warning, that we could really harm ourselves."

"We'll probably have to take it easy the next day, then," Naofumi said. "We can also use the time to start learning to read the local language," he sighed. "That's going to be a pain."

"Not as much as you might think," Raphtalia said with a smile.

"Huh. What do you mean?"

"I don't know everything, but my parents taught me most of the characters that make up the core of high Melromarcian dialect," Raphtalia began.

"And because of the ritual that the Slave Trader made me undergo I can speak the language," Shirou continued. "I can translate the local language into Japanese and with Raphtalia's help I'm sure we can write up an alphabet table."

Naofumi blinked. "You've both thought this through, huh?"

"We talked it over earlier. It makes sense," Raphtalia said with a shrug.

"Good to hear. Off to Riyute Village, then," Naofumi decided, then frowned. "Actually, as we walk, can you both tell me all that you know about the Church of the Three Heroes? I got the gist last night, but I'd like to know everything that you can tell me."

"…Sure," Raphtalia nodded.

"…You realize it will piss you off big time, right?" Shirou asked to be sure.

"Yeah," Naofumi sighed, deadpan and utterly resigned. "What else is new?"

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield III – Base Defense 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth up (medium) (mastered)]**

* * *

They arrived at Riyute Village barely three hours later. They had gone straight for the village with no detours, and monster encounters were few and far between. They had made good time, all three of them decided as the village gates came into sight.

And it just so happened that someone they knew was waiting for them there.

"Yo! Naofumi! Kids in grown up bodies! Fancy seeing you guys here!"

"Alfyn," Naofumi greeted as the blond Apothecary came walking up. His ever present grin was still on his face, though said face was gaunt with exhaustion. "Everything alright?"

"Eh, considering the circumstances, it could be worse," Alfyn said, shrugging. "I have been busy like you wouldn't believe the last two days, coordinating the reconstruction efforts together with Zeph. I can't complain, though, as I'm still alive. Anyway, what brings you back here?"

"Several things," Naofumi said. "Mostly getting away from Castle Town."

"Ah, makes sense, I guess. I never liked those pompous idiots back in the capital," Alfyn nodded like he perfectly understood what Naofumi meant. Maybe he did.

"How is the village doing?" Shirou cut in. Riyute Village and its inhabitants had been in the back of his mind for a while now.

"Again, it could be worse," Alfyn declared. "Quite a few of the buildings were smashed and the roads have taken a beating, but that's nothing a good month's worth of effort won't fix. Besides that, the fields and produce were much better off then it originally appeared, so we are good on that front so long as the harvest goes smoothly. The main thing we have been focussing on is disposing of the remains of the monsters as quickly as we can. I rather not that my home village becomes ground zero for another great epidemic."

"…I might be able to help with that," Naofumi said, placing a hand on the Legendary Shield.

Alfyn raised an eyebrow at them, and it remained raised in scepticism even after Naofumi explained some of the Legendary Shield's abilities. But the man quickly changed his tune when he saw a monster's corpse disappear with but a simple touch, being sucked whole into the Legendary Shield's green jewel.

They were shown to the battlefield outside of the village, as the village proper itself had already been cleared of monster corpses. Naofumi went around absorbing the monster corpses, Raphtalia and Shirou dismantling them so that they got the most possible out of it. All told they unlocked about 80 shields, most of which simply defaulted to Equip Bonuses for Naofumi's various Stats, which were quickly mastered as they repeatedly fed the same monster parts to the Legendary Shield. There were also one or two shields with interesting effects.

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Zombie Gut Shield – Base Defense 16 – Equip Bonus: Inventory Rot Resistance (small) (mastered)] **

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Bee Needle Shield – Base Defense 20 – Equip Bonus: Attack +1 (mastered)] **

**Special Ability: Needle Shield (small) / Bee Poison (paralysis)**

Eventually, after clearing several fields, they were brought to ground zero of the Wave. There, they found the corpse of the Boss Monster, the biggest and strongest monster spawned by the Wave. The vocal point of the destructive phenomena that had struck Riyute Village.

Or, what was left of it.

"Man, what a mess. The other Heroes must have gutted this thing," Naofumi said.

It was some kind of chimera, easily the size of a large house if it had been standing up. But it was kind of difficult to tell which animals had made it up. It's three heads had been torn off, obviously having been used to further improve on the other Hero's Legendary Weapons. Beside that the skin and flesh of the beast was pockmarked with slash wounds and craters.

The only thing still relatively intact looking was the chimera's tail, which was tipped with the head of a massive snake that reminded him eerily of the Otherworld Blotted Viper.

This thing really took a beating before it went down. Naofumi felt a sweat drip down his brow at the mere thought of trying to stand up to its attacks.

"Would you mind if we took a little of it?" Shirou asked.

"Sure," Alfyn decided after a brief discussion with the some of the other villagers. "We were thinking of processing it into equipment and preserving what we could to sell later, but there is no way we could make use of all of it. As far as I am concerned, you can consider this your payment for services rendered during the Wave and you can take what you want."

With that said, they went about butchering the massive carcass. The villagers, Alfyn included, pitched in to help.

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Chimera Meat Shield – Base Defense 25 – Equip Bonus: Cooking + 8 (unmastered)] **

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Chimera Bone Shield – Base Defense 16 – Equip Bonus: Shadow Resistance (unmastered)] **

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Chimera Leather Shield – Base Defense 28 – Equip Bonus: Defence + 15 (unmastered)] **

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Chimera Claw Shield – Base Defense 23 – Equip Bonus: Agility + 6 (unmastered)] **

**Requirement met: [Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield – Base Defense 45 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 12 / Poison Resistance (medium) (unmastered)] **

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (medium) / Hook**

Naofumi looked over the Stats of the last shield he had unlocked. It had a lot of good Equip Bonuses, especially since he now had the base form of the Change Shield Skill, and its Special Abilities really fit his current fighting style. Not to mention, its base Defence Stat was, except for the Shield of Rage, the highest he had in his entire arsenal. Too bad he needed to master all the other Chimera shields before he could use it.

He got a feeling that the Chimera Viper Shield would be his to go to shield for a long while after he'd unlocked it.

"Good. I got some nice shields out of it," Naofumi said and closed his Menu.

"Let's continue, the fields are almost clear of corpses," Shirou suggested.

They continued on helping the villagers clear the fields around Riyute Village, now simply allowing the Legendary Shield to absorb the monster's whole. This sped up the process considerably, and by the time it became dusk the fields were free of the looming biohazard.

"Thanks for all the help. Is there anything we could do in return?" Alfyn asked a moment later. "I feel kinda bad having you guys helping us constantly without really showing our appreciation."

After a moment, Raphtalia raised her hand. "Um, if you know how to read, can you maybe help teach us? Me and Shirou only have been taught a little, and Naofumi-sama is from another world, so…"

Alfyn blinked, obviously haven't expected that request, then grinned. "Sure, it would be my pleasure. Our houses got wrecked during the Wave, so me, Zeph and Nina have been staying at the Inn. I'll put a word in so that we can share a room together for free and have us a late night study session."

With that, they entered the village proper.

Shirou looked around at the wrecked buildings. He'd noticed it before, but half the village had been demolished during the Wave. Even with Alfyn's assurance that the people of Riyute Village would pull through just fine, he worried for their future. He wanted to help with the rebuilding, helping for the sake of helping as he was won't to do, but that would cut into study time, which in turn would affect his ability to aid people in the future, to aid in future Waves and save lives. Compared to that, helping people to rebuild houses, while a good thing to do, felt like a hollow gesture at best.

He had to prioritize how and who he could help, try and find the most optimal path that would allow him to help the most people, and it galled him. But if through prioritizing like this he'd be able to help more people in the long run, that's what he would do.

Zeph was waiting for them at the Inn, and he greeted them warmly. "Hey, guys. I had heard you had come back and have been helping out in the fields. How's it looking?" he asked.

"Perfect. No more monster corpses," Alfyn answered for them.

Zeph let out a sigh of relieve. "Oh, thank god. Now I won't have to worry about that anymore."

"You're welcome," Shirou said, smiling. "And thank you for putting in a kind word in for us with your grandfather. He gave us some useful stuff."

"After all you guys have done, that's the least I could do," Zeph shook his head. "I still feel like I have not paid you all back properly. If there's anything else I can do…"

"Way ahead of you, pal," Alfyn slung an arm around Zeph's shoulder and led the group inside the Inn.

They retired to a shared room where Nina was already waiting for them. The monster egg that they'd bought from the Slave Trader and had been in one of Naofumi's knapsacks was deposited on a table.

With Alfyn's and Zeph's help they then managed to quickly draft a table of the local language's characters. With Shirou's help they coupled said characters to the corresponding symbol in Japanese, and with that a long night of studying began.

For Naofumi, who was also using the time to compound some medicines and concoctions, trying to memorize the strange symbols was a pain. It reminded him painfully of those times he had to study for a particularly important test when he was in college. It did not have that same undercurrent of urgency, but the soul killing monotony was similar.

Still, they studied deep into the night, making a little headway before they decided to go to sleep. But first, they had one last thing to do.

"This is going to suck," Naofumi grumbled as he looked down at the Miracle Work Potion in his hands with trepidation.

"The Magic Shop Owner said as much, didn't she?" Shirou deadpanned.

Naofumi gave the demi-human a flat look. He had noticed it before, but Shirou had suddenly kind of developed a tendency to be snarky at times. Considering that it slipped out only rarely, he figured that the boy had always had such pointed thoughts and now simply felt comfortable enough around him to not always hold his tongue.

That thought made him feel oddly warm for some reason.

"Please don't start an argument now you two," Raphtalia sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

All three of them were sitting on a bed. Alfyn, Zeph and Nina were already asleep, having retired to their own beds. They looked at each other, and nodded. With a popping sound, they'd pulled the stoppers out of the Miracle Work Potions, raised it to their mouths and downed the concoction in a single, swift gulp.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, suddenly, Raphtalia let out a hiss, Naofumi took a deep breath and Shirou tensed. On their skin, glowing blue lines manifested, looking almost like circuitry as the potion's magic surged through their systems and forced their Magic Circuits open. Their body temperature rose quickly as their Magic Circuits converted Life Force into magical energy for the very first time, and their breaths quickened as their bodes tried to adept to the sudden rise in temperature, sweat starting to bead on their brows. Pain seared their flesh, and all three of them had to clench their teeth to not make a sound and-

The pain suddenly lessened, becoming a dull, continuous ache instead of a fire in their flesh. The secondary effects of the Miracle Work Potions had kicked in, deadening their nerves and dulling the pain. After a moment, the glowing blue lines on their skin disappeared, the Magic Circuits closing. Still, their breaths remained fast paced and they continued to sweat, their body temperature similar to when a person has a fever.

After a long moment, their breaths evened out, but they continued sweat and have what was pretty much a fever. Naofumi groaned as he picked up one of the towels they had laid out beforehand and whipped the sweat of his brow.

Shirou, meanwhile, opened his Menu. Yep, just like the Magic Shop Owner had said, he now had a Stat for Magic. "It worked."

"It better have," Raphtalia let out a shaky breath.

"Let's just try and get some sleep," Naofumi said, breathing deeply. "We have to sleep this off. Good night."

With that, the Shield Hero laid down.

Raphtalia and Shirou copied him. Sleep did not come easy for any of them that night, but all three of them fell asleep eventually. And tomorrow, they would continue with their studies, all in the name of learning magic.

**Requirement met: [Companion Shield IV – Base Defense 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth up (large) (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Magic Foundation Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 10 – Equip Bonus: Magic Stat Growth Up (small)] / Magic Circuit Maturation Adjustment (small) (mastered)]**

* * *

_Swords._

_Emiya Shirou dreamed of swords, of blades. _

_On a Hill that seemed to go on into infinity, a field of blades stretch beyond the horizon under an everlasting sunset that painted the sky a vivid crimson. Their numbers were beyond counting, maybe even infinite in the literal sense, as if he found himself in a Universe of Endless Blades._

_Shirou looked over this vast expanse, and came to a saddened realization that virtually all the blades in this world were indistinct. Their impressions, their potential, their possibilities were there, but their actual existence and records were not to be found here. One day, if fate would have it that way, all these weapons might find a home here. _

_But for now, in spite of this reality's fast potential, it was mostly empty, waiting to be filled with what few blades having been recorded so far being dull and ordinary. _

_There were only two exceptions, and as such, they drew all of Shirou's attention. _

_Midway up the Hill, two weapons rested close by each other. A spear and a sword. A Legendary Spear and a Legendary Sword both in the literal and figurative sense, weapons only to be wielded by chosen champions. But their existence was recorded here, their owners were not present, so there was nothing stopping anyone else from reaching out and taking them, nothing stopping anyone from using them even if they weren't the intended wielder._

_So he did just that. Shirou reached for them, and the moment his hands closed around the hilt of the Legendary Sword and the pole of the Legendary Spear, their records unfolded in his mind. _

_It was gibberish to him. These Legendary Weapons were Holy, divine in the literal sense. Even if their records were recorded here, a mortal mind could not comprehend the divine beyond mortal ken. Their structure was alien to his mind, the materials they were made from had no name in any spoken mortal's language, and the Legendary Weapons weren't so much forged as they were wished into existence. The records on the Legendary Weapons were incomprehensible to him, and as alien to his mind as the concept of philosophy would be to an ant. _

_Except for one, mundane part of the Legendary Weapon's existence that was as ordinary as anything else: their history. _

_His sight went deeper then it ever had before, and the histories of the Legendary Weapons were laid bare to him. The battles they had been used in, the materials that had been used to unlock new forms and the Skills that had been gained as a result, the constant use of abilities and functions. All of that and more. _

_And, most importantly, the methods their wielders had used to bring out their Legendary Weapon's potential._

* * *

Shirou woke up, gasping for breath.

For a brief moment, the room seemed to spin wildly around him, and the covers he found himself under made him feel unbearably hot and stuffy. It took him a moment to realize he was still suffering from the fever that the unlocking of his Magic Circuits had caused.

"Oh," he groaned, turning over in his bed. "I feel terrible."

Because of how he felt he was ready to chalk up what he had just experiences as an odd fever dream, but when his mind automatically went to the only thing of real substance he had dreamed about, the Legendary Spear and Legendary Sword, all the information he had been able to grasp, the events that said weapons had experienced, appeared as clear as day in his mind.

Suddenly, the information was just there for him to peruse at his leisure. Just like the Magic Shop Owner had theorized, he could evidently also perceive the history of a blade. But was he now able to perceive it because he was becoming more familiar with his innate abilities, because of his knowledge of his aligned Element and Origin of Sword, because his Magic Circuits had been unlocked or because of a combination of all of the above?

Not that it really mattered. The fact was that he now could also perceive the history of weapon. And as he mentally sorted through the information on the Legendary Weapons in an attempt to focus his mind away, he realized that there were a few… inconsistencies between the functions and abilities of the Legendary Spear, the Legendary Sword and the Legendary Shield. There was a lot of overlap, but there were also quite a few differences.

"I've got to figure this out," he decided. Curiosity roused in spite of how awful he felt, Shirou got out of bed and dressed himself. Not like laying in bed would make him feel better, might as well continue being productive.

Shirou dug out a piece of paper out of his bag and a pencil. Then he started putting pencil to paper, writing down all that he considered important that he had discovered about the Legendary Weapons and their functions.

"Let's see…"

* * *

Naofumi had woken up at around 07:00 in the morning to find that Alfyn and Nina had, to his surprise, already left, while Zeph was still asleep, and his demi-human companions had already been up and working on something. If nothing else, Naofumi had to admire Shirou's and Raphtalia's dedication. They had to be feeling every bit as awful as Naofumi also felt, suffering from a fever as all three of them still were, yet they had still gotten up very early and had set to work on something.

Raphtalia had been sitting up in her bed, practicing turning her Magic Circuits on and off. Shirou, on the other hand, had been writing something down with such focus that he barely responded when Naofumi wished him a good morning. Following Raphtalia's example, he had also gotten to work on trying to get control of his Magic Circuits.

He had little to no headway when Shirou had suddenly gotten up and handed him the piece of paper he had been writing on, startling Naofumi.

"Here," Shirou said. "Read it. It's important."

"What is it?" Naofumi asked more out of reflex that anything else. He looked down and started reading.

_**Legendary Weapon Functions**_

_**Universal**_

_[Unlock Form] – A Legendary Weapon can absorb materials into it. If the material can be used to unlock a new form it will do so. If not, the material will be stored in the Item Box. The time required to unlock a new form is dependent on the material used and the number of forms the weapon has already unlocked. As more forms are unlocked, it can unlock new forms faster._

_[Item Box] – The Legendary Weapons have a subspace to keep unused materials. _

_[Drop Item] – When a monster is killed and absorbed by the Legendary Weapon, in whole or in part, the Legendary Weapon will generate a drop item_

_[Recipe Synthesis] – A Legendary Weapon can unlock recipes for cooking, potion making, smithing, etc, through mastery of certain weapon forms. After the recipe has been unlocked, the Legendary Weapon can craft, cook, smith, etc. the corresponding item. The quality of is always Normal, regardless of the quality of the materials put in._

_[Weapon Copy] – Weapons of the same category as Legendary Weapon can be copied into said Legendary Weapon without consuming the original copy._

_[Weapon Mastery] – Weapon forms can be mastered through use, repeatedly absorbing more copies of the unlock material, or by simply having the weapon equipped long enough outside of battle. Once the form is Mastered, the Hero gains the weapon form's Equipment Bonuses, even with the form is not equipped. _

_[Equipment Bonuses] – Equipment Bonuses are bonuses that come from individual weapon forms and can be mastered to make permanent. _

_**Legendary Sword**_

_[Weapon Proficiency] – Weapon Proficiency is a gauge that fills up and runs concurrent with the time spent Mastering a weapon. The gauge for Weapon Proficiency goes up to 100 for each weapon form, and can be reset to gain Energy._

_[Awaken Weapon] – Once a weapon form is Mastered, it can be Awakened by consuming Energy gained from [Weapon Proficiency] in order to provide even greater Equipment Bonuses and enhance Special Abilities. Numerical Equipment Bonuses will be increased by 50%. Nonnumerical Equipment Bonuses and Special Abilities increase by one grade (Poison Resistance (small) becomes Poison Resistance (medium)._

_[Upgrade] – A weapon form that has been Awakened can be Upgraded by consuming more Energy gained from [Weapon Proficiency]. Any item in the Legendary Weapon's Item Box can also be turned into Energy. There is only percent chance of success with each attempt and each form can only have up to 5 successes. Each success increases the Base Stats of the weapon form by +20% (additive stacking). Each successive upgrade will increase a weapon form's Rarity. First the weapon form will gain the Common Rarity, then Uncommon, then Rare, then Super Rare, and then Artifact. _

_**Legendary Spear**_

_[Weapon Enchantment] – A weapon form can be enhanced by using [Soul Fragments] gathered from enemies absorbed into the Legendary Weapon. An enhanced weapon form gains damage/damage-reduction against the enemy type the weapon form is specialized for. These bonuses will be different depending on the level of specialization of the weapon. As the Level of enchantment gets higher, it becomes more and more expensive._

_[Weapon Tempering] – A weapon form can be made stronger with the use of certain ores. Each weapon form has only a single kind of ore that will increase its Tempering Level. The more powerful the weapon form, the more ore needs to be infused before its Tempering Level increases. There is no limit how many times a weapon form's Tempering Level can be increased. There is, however, a percent chance of failure, and if the process fails, all previous Tempering Levels will be lost. Weapon Tempering will give +1 to the Base Attack or the Base Defence with each Tempering Level._

_[Status Enchantment] – A weapon form can be Enchanted by infusing them with certain materials in order to add special properties, depending on the material used. Rare and more magically potent materials may give higher bonuses. If you use a new Enchantment, it will overwrite the old one._

Naofumi read it. Then read it again, just to be sure. He looked up at Shirou, Raphtalia having joined them in the meantime.

Shirou saw the question in Naofumi's eyes and started to explain. "You know how the Magic Shop owner theorized that I might be able to read a weapon's history? She was right. I don't know how it happened, but now I can also perceive a weapon's history. I can't make head or tails of most that makes up the Legendary Weapons, but how their wielder used them is pretty mundane. I used that info and what I know about the Legendary Shield to make this list."

"I didn't see anything on the Legendary Bow," Naofumi said, handing over the piece of paper to Raphtalia as she asked to see it. "Why's that? You saw it at the feast too, right?"

"I think it's because a bow is a bit too far removed from my aligned Element and Origin," Shirou said. "On the other hand, a sword and a spear are pretty similar all things considered."

"Hmm," Naofumi hummed, eyes narrowing in thought. He pulled up his Menu and looked through it. "I can't see any of those options in my Menu…"

"That doesn't make any sense," Raphtalia protested, looking up from the piece of paper. "I would be able to understand if these Strengthening Methods might not be available to you, Naofumi-sama, since they might be weapon specific, but if both the Legendary Sword and the Legendary Spear have this Drop Item and Weapon Copy abilities, and presumably the Legendary Bow does too, why would the Legendary Shield be the odd one out?"

"True, that would be odd," Naofumi agreed, staring hard at his Menu. "But I am still not seeing any of these options. Is this why they said the Legendary Shield was the weakest weapon?" he grumbled.

Still, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made to him. The other Heroes always said that the Shield was the weakest weapon, but they always alluded to the fact that he had virtually no ability to attack. There was no logical reason that he could think of why the Shield would not have the same basic functions as the other Legendary Weapons. He did have the Unlock Form, Weapon Mastery and the Equip Bonuses functions, then why didn't he also have the use of the Item Box, the Drop Item, the Recipe Synthesis and the Weapon Copy systems?

So deep in thought Naofumi was, that he didn't realize that Zeph had woken up. Or the fact that Zeph had left the room after a brief conversation with Shirou.

Naofumi continued to ponder it, and eventually his mind came to focus on the existence of the Shield of Rage. Before he had unlocked the Shield of Rage, there was no information on it in his Menu. The Curse Series Skill tree had, prior to its unlocking, simply not existed as far as his Menu was concerned. Could these other options be hidden from him for a similar reason? But what could the reason be? The Curse Series Skill Tree had been unlocked when he been driven to the edge of despair and his anger had overwhelmed him. But again, why would that be so?

Were the Legendary Weapon's perhaps influenced by their wielder's emotions, by their perceptions? And now that he thought about it, had not his Menu included more options before he had been framed for rape? And he had closed off his heart in response? It was a hell of a logical leap, he had to admit, but it did make sense to him.

So, did that mean that those options weren't available to him because he did not believe they existed in the first place? That thought, that his own rather perceptions were holding him back, galled him.

"I'm back," Zeph announced, slamming the door shut behind him loudly enough to break Naofumi from his musings. He marched up to the Shield Hero, and handed over a plain Iron Shield. "Here, the Innkeeper here had a short stint as an Adventurer, before deciding that it wasn't for him. This was the shield that he'd used. Try it."

Naofumi looked at the shield in his hands, then up at the people staring down at him expectantly. He sighed, then stared hard at the Iron Shield.

If… If his conjectures were true, then the reason he didn't have access to certain options was because he hadn't been aware they existed, at first, and now they weren't available to him was because he did not believe that they were real. To be more precise, somewhere inside of him, he was refusing to believe.

But that just meant that he had to convince himself, convince himself that those options, did in fact exist.

The problem was that Naofumi's sense of trust had been damaged, perhaps irreparably so. It'd be an uphill struggle to convince himself on nothing more than force of will.

But, the one that had informed him of this was Shirou, a person that, just like Raphtalia, he'd trusted implicitly. The mere thought of those two made him feel happy and warm. With those feelings and the conviction they had inspired in him, he tightened his hold on the Iron Shield, and dug down deep.

_The ability to copy weapons must be real! If Shirou say so, then the Weapon Copy ability exists!_

Something in the shield responded, its green jewel lighting up.

**Weapon Copy – Complete: [Iron Shield Unlocked – Base Defence 3 – Equip Bonus: Shield Bash]**

**[Shield Bash – Bashing the Hero's shield against a target will stun it for 5 seconds (unmastered)]**

In a flash, the Legendary Shield changed into the form of the Iron Shield.

"It worked…" Naofumi breathed.

"Good job, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia cheered.

Naofumi nodded at congratulations he received, the others following suit, but his thoughts were still elsewhere. After all, if the Weapon Copy ability was real, then the other abilities had to be real too, right? He opened his Menu, stared hard at it, and believed with all his might. The screen flickered as static seemed to dance over it, and…

_Yes! It worked!_

There were now icons for the Item Box and Recipe Synthesis in his Menu. He didn't see anything that corresponded to the Drop Item function, though. He opened and scrolled through the Item Box. There was a lot of stuff in there, and some materials used in the making of medicines and concoctions immediately caught his eye.

There were also images of monsters he had absorbed into his shield in the past. He tapped one of those images and it revealed the Drop Item corresponding to that monster. Ah, so the Drop Item function was integrated into his Item Box.

Besides that, there were also a lot of separate monster parts, from limbs to organs. As far as he could see, there were no intact monsters in the list. Did the Legendary Shield automatically dismantle monsters when it absorbed them? That would be something to follow up on. If so then they might no longer have to dismantle monsters manually.

He tapped a few more of the monster icons, revealing their drop items. Naofumi's eyes widened in delight: a few of those monsters had dropped money. In RPG's, monsters dropping money was rather standard fare, but it still surprised him in a good way.

It wasn't a whole lot, only a measly 15 pieces of silver, but he'd only checked a few of his item drops. Who knew how much his shield had accumulated over the last month of almost constant fighting and absorbing monsters?

He then tapped the Recipe Synthesis icon. There were a lot of recipes in there, most of which had to do with Compounding. Previously, he'd made use of those recipes by making them manually after he had acquired them through an Equip Bonus, but now he could let the shield take care of it. Hell, he could even let the Shield cook for him. Then again, everything the Legendary Shield make would just be Normal quality. He could continue honing his Compounding Skill and leave the Legendary Shield for the use of mass production.

If all those abilities were available to him, did that mean that he might also be able to use the other Heroes' Strengthening Methods? Just as he was about to give it a try-

"…Fumi. Naofumi!" a voice called him.

"Yes!" his head darted up, annoyed at having been interrupted.

"The egg!" Shirou said, pointing towards the monster egg on the nearby table. A long crack ran down its side and it wobbled from side to side.

Naofumi quickly got up, getting in front of the monster that was about to hatch, momentarily putting the matter of his Legendary Shield aside. Mentally, he thanked Shirou. The Slave Trader had told him that a monster that hatched from an egg would imprint on the first being that it sees, making it easier to control as the monster would usually heed the commands of the person it had imprinted on. Shirou's observant eyes and quick actions might just have saved him quite a headache.

All of them watched the egg wobble with bated breath, Zeph included, curious to see what might just hatch from it. Finally, the cracks on the egg widened, and the pieces of the shell fell away.

"Pi!" the small, pink feathered monster that was revealed chirped happily. It laid eyes on Naofumi and its tiny wings fluttered joyfully at the sight of him. It quickly flew over to him and settled itself in his raven locks atop of his head, squirming around and making itself comfortable there.

"It's really cute, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia said, smiling. "It must think of you as its mother."

"We must think up a name for it," Shirou suggested.

"I'd first like to know what it is, though," Naofumi said, raising a hand to poke at the monster with his finger. It playfully snapped at him, determined to play a game.

"It's a Filolial chick," Zeph informed them. They turned to look at him. He smiled "We have a monster breeder here in the village. I've seen more than a few of those running around, and it's definitely a Filolial chick."

"A Filolial, huh…" Naofumi mussed.

"You have seen them before, Naofumi-sama. They are often used to draw carriages," Raphtalia said.

"Ah, those ostrich like birds," the Shield Hero nodded. He'd seen them often in Castle Town, drawing a carriage like Raphtalia said. So that's how this little one would grow up. "Filolial, hmm, I will call you Filo, then," he decided.

The now named Filo let out a happy cry, apparently satisfied with the name.

"Filo, as in a shortening of Filolial," Shirou's said, voice going dry and deadpan, Naofumi knowing that the snark was about to be unleashed. "I see that your… creativity hasn't improved from yesterday."

"And I'll say the same thing I said yesterday. Blow it out of your ass, it's a good name," Naofumi grumbled and huffed.

Raphtalia snorted, barely holding in a rather unlady-like laugh.

* * *

**Credit for the description of the Legendary Weapon functions goes to A Dyslexic Writer with his story Wandering of a Sword Hero. I lifted their description almost word for word from him. I'm glad I remembered that he had dedicated an entire chapter to explain the functions of the Legendary Weapon's in detail. It would have been a pain to try and describe all of that myself and keep my facts straight. **


	11. Intermediate 2

**Sword and Shield**

**Intermediate 2: Filo and the Chimera Viper Shield**

Naofumi reclined back into his chair, a book laying in his lap and his eyes dancing over the pop-up in front of his face.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield – Base Defence 45 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 12 / Poison Resistance (medium) (mastered)]**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (medium) / Hook **

Good, the Chimera Viper Shield has been mastered. He'd been studying the written language of this world when the pop-up had suddenly appeared in front of his face.

Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia have been cooped up in their room at the Inn for over a day and a half now, recuperating from having their Magic Circuits opened and using the time to gain control over them. It took a little while and there were a few hiccups here and there that had all of them sweating, but all three of them had learned to turn their Magic Circuits on and off at will the day before.

In the meantime, as they recovered, they had also been studying the written language of Melromarc, and progress was going slowly, but there was progress nonetheless. All three of them had memorized the characters and could read a sentence if given a minute or two.

Even now they were practicing, painstakingly trying to read the books on the fundamentals of magic that the Magic Shop Owner had provided. Shirou was sitting by the window with a book in his lap, his face scrunched up in a curious mix of concentration and mild frustration, while Raphtalia was pacing the length of the room, book held in front of her face. Her mouth moved as she slowly but surely read through the chapter. Just like him, they were slowly starting to learn how to read, but it would take weeks at least before they could read fluently.

Hopefully, they would be able to use some magic before the next Wave. The hourglass symbol in the corner of his vision kept track of the time, so he always knew how long it would be until the next Wave. It had been a pleasant surprise when he had realized that they had a whole 45 days before the next Wave. Apparently, the Waves didn't come in set intervals of a month like he had assumed at first.

It might be a bit of a stretch to learn to harness magic in that time frame, but Naofumi didn't consider it to be impossible, and he was determined to try. All three of them were.

That said, the constant looking at page after page was starting to wear at him. The information contained within might be fascinating, it was about magic, after all, but the fact that it took over half an hour to read a single page was frustrating to put it mildly.

"Pi. Pi," Filo chirped from his head, having made Naofumi's raven locks her nest.

Naofumi smiled. He'd always liked to take care of animals, and the little bird offered a good excuse to stop studying every once in a while to feed her. The villager that Zeph had mentioned, the one that bred monsters, had come over and given them some helpful tips for taking care of a Filolial and several bags of bean paste that was perfect for feeding a Filolial chick. With a brief thought, one such bags manifested from his Legendary Shield, having been stored in his Item Box.

Filo chirped happily and jumped from Naofumi's head as he laid the bag of bean paste on the floor and loosened the string keeping it shut. The Filolial immediately dove in and started eating her fill. He had a premonition, as he watched her gorge herself, that Filo would always be a big eater.

Naofumi watched Filo eat for a short moment, but eventually his gaze dropped back to the Legendary Shield strapped to his arm.

The Item Box, the Drop Item and Recipe Synthesis systems were already proving to be quite handy. Nearly all the stuff they had been lugging around was now stored in the Item Box. They'd gained, all told, a little over 12 _gold _coins worth of wealth from all the item drops his shield had contained. There was also a lot of other stuff, some of which he was planning to pawn to gain some more cash. And the herbs and materials that'd been included in those drops that could be used for compounding were being processed by the Recipe Synthesis system into a plethora of potions.

Really, the Legendary Shield was much more useful than he had first given it credit for.

And he hadn't even figured out if this was all that it could do. Now that he had mastered all of the shields he had unlocked from the Chimera Boss Monster, and since he was now also taking a short break from studying, it was a good a time as any to experiment.

Naofumi accessed his Menu, his shield manifesting the paper that held all the information they knew about the Legendary Weapons. His fingers traced down the paper until it ended at the lines that described the Strengthening Methods available to the Legendary Sword.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered to himself and envisioned the [Weapon Proficiency], [Awaken Weapon] and [Upgrade] systems that Ren used to strengthen the Legendary Sword, believed with all that he had, and accessed the information on the Chimera Viper Shield.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield – Base Defence 45 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 12 / Poison Resistance (medium) (mastered)]**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (medium) / Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 100**

Naofumi's released a breath as he realized it had worked. He quickly pressed the new option, and then…

**Reset [Weapon Proficiency] level?**

He hesitated briefly before choosing the 'yes' option.

**Received 2000 mastery energy points.**

Following the instructions on the piece of paper, Naofumi assigned the energy points to the Chimera Viper Shield, seeking to Awaken it. Only he didn't have enough. He needed 2000 more points. He quickly went through all the other Chimera Series of shields that he had mastered, and turned their accrued [Weapon Proficiency] into energy points that he then assigned to the Chimera Viper Shield.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) C – Base Defence 54 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 0**

It had worked. Just like Shirou had written down, the base Defence Stat of the weapon had increased and its Equipment Bonuses and Special Abilities had improved. _The letter C must be the rarity,_ Naofumi thought. _Common, then, and if I put in even more energy points…_

He quickly went through more and more shields, resetting their [Weapon Proficiency] and collecting energy points. Naofumi had mastered close to 700 weapons forms by now, so he had a lot to work with to improve the Chimera Viper Shield.

**Success!**

The first attempt at Upgrading the Chimera Viper Shield was an instant success, but the Upgrade after that took three attempts before succeeding, as there was percent chance of failing. Still, he had accrued so many energy points that it didn't matter. He just kept trying until it succeeded, and…

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 0**

The Chimera Viper Shield's Rarity had been Upgraded all the way to max: Artifact, and its Base Defence Stat had been doubled to what it had been at the beginning as a result. If he had this shield during the duel with Motoyasu, Naofumi very much doubted the Spear Hero could have pierced his Defence even after his Stats had been nerfed by Debuff magic.

And there were even more options for improving his shield he could try. The Legendary Spear had its own methods of strengthening. Said options had already appeared in his Menu. It was starting to get quite easy to believe after several successes in a row like this.

Unfortunately, much to Naofumi's frustration, he didn't have the necessary ores to try out the [Weapon Tempering] option. He'd have to find said ores first, but he could make use of the [Weapon Enchantment] and [Status Enchantment] functions. First, he would try [Weapon Enchantment]. He had collected tons of [Soul Fragments] ever since coming to this world, and a list of them had appeared in his Menu now that he believed in the [Weapon Enchantment] function.

Naofumi had well over 2000 [Soul Fragments] to work with, and he unceremoniously dumbed 500 of those into the Chimera Viper Shield.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 4: +8% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike **

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 0**

W-Wow, now Motoyasu definitely wouldn't have been capable of harming him. He dumped another 500 [Soul Fragments] into the Chimera Viper Shield.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 6: +12% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike **

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 0**

The [Weapon Enchantment] level had increased again, as had the damage reduction from humanlike, but not as much as before when he had used just as much [Soul Fragments]. It seems it really did become more expensive the higher the [Weapon Enchantment] level became.

Not that it mattered. The basic ability of the Chimera Viper Shield had improved in all aspects. It was already completely overpowered, but he still had the [Status Enchantment] function left to try.

Naofumi looked through his Item Box and because they'd helped clear the fields yesterday, he'd tons of Otherworld Zombie materials stored away. Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. The effect that monster materials could have was random, as in he had no idea what effect those materials might have, so he would have to experiment. He selected some of those Otherworld Zombie materials and used [Status Enchantment] on the Chimera Viper Shield.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 6: +12% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike **

**[Status Enchantment] Lv 1: +3 Poison Damage**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 0**

Huh, lucky. Considering the Special Ability [Snake Venom Fang (large)] of the Chimera Viper Shield, an increase in the damage and effectiveness of poison was perfect. And he'd used only a little bit of the Otherworld Zombie materials. If he used more…

Naofumi selected ¾ of all the Otherworld Zombie materials he had stored and selected the [Status Enchantment] function.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 6: +12% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike **

**[Status Enchantment] Lv 13: +39 Poison Damage**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 0**

Naofumi felt sweat drip from the back of his neck. He was fairly certain that the poison from the Chimera Viper Shield would be outright corrosive now, and highly deadly. He'd better make some high quality Antidotes just to be safe.

A knock on the door broke Naofumi from his thoughts.

"Enter," he called after exchanging glances with Shirou and Raphtalia.

Alfyn entered a moment later. He looked a little nervous.

"Guys," he said, sighing. "I hate to have to do this, but can I ask another favor from you all?"

"What is it?" Shirou asked.

"It has to do with the last Wave," Alfyn answered. All three of them tensed. "Since more than a few of the monsters spawned by the Wave escaped, I thought it might be a good idea if I had a few of the people in the village with tracking experience scope out the surroundings."

"And they found something?" Raphtalia asked in alarm.

"Yeah, you could say that," Alfyn said warily. "I sent several groups of people out and they confirmed our scout's findings. The mountain range up north has been infested by monsters spawned by the Wave. Mostly those zombies and such. They seem to have completely exterminated the local population of monsters there, probably increasing their Level and growing stronger, and have set up shop there. It isn't certain that they will attack the village, but the risk is too great to ignore. And, unfortunately, after the Wave, we simply don't have the money to hire any adventurers to deal with this."

There was a brief moment of silence, which was then broken by Shirou decisively snapping his book shut and getting up.

"Of course we'll help," he said, already checking if all his equipment was in order.

Raphtalia was doing the same a moment later.

Naofumi wanted to sigh, but he held back. He should have expected that reaction from Shirou. "We'll discuss payment later after we have dealt with this," he said, getting up as well.

Shirou shot him a look, but declined to comment.

"Thanks guys, really," Alfyn said, relaxing. "After all the help you have given us…"

"Don't think too much of it," Naofumi said, shouldering his satchel loaded with concoctions and potions. There was a small delay with items manifesting from his shield, so he had decided to always keep some concoctions and potions in easy, immediate reach. "All the sitting around and constant studying was starting to wear on me. It's a good excuse to go stretch our legs for a bit. Just see if you might be able to scrounge up some kind of payment in the meantime and we'll call it even."

* * *

Shirou was deep in thought as they tracked up the path of the mountain range. They had left Riyute Village behind over two hours ago, and they should be arriving within half an hour in the area where the scouts had reported seeing monsters spawned by the Wave congregating. His thoughts weren't focused on the coming skirmishes, but on Naofumi's actions in demanding payment.

"Naofumi, may I ask something?" Shirou spoke up.

"Hmm? Sure, of course. What is it?" Naofumi asked from his position in the front.

"You clearly were intending to help anyway, but you still demanded some kind of payment. Why?"

"Two reasons, really. One, it's a good chance to make some profits. I just said that _if _they could whip up a reward for us, I'll take it. If not, too bad, and I'll still have done as they asked, but there is the chance of a reward later," Naofumi began to explain. "Second, it's to avoid potential problems later."

"Potential problems?" Raphtalia blinked, just as confused as Shirou. "What potential problems?"

"Most people learn this as they grow older," Naofumi continued. "But it can come over as suspicious if you go around helping people without asking anything in return. Most people do stuff with the thought in the back of their minds that doing that thing will be advantageous for them later. Think of going to school to get a good career, but if I went to school merely to learn and not to build up to a career, people might start to wonder if I have any hidden motivations I'm not telling. My reputation is already in the gutter, I'd rather not throw more fuel onto the fire."

"So you're saying that doing good deeds for nothing in return will just make you look suspicious, and the rumours that spawn from that will just make your reputation worse?" Shirou asked sceptically. "That sounds rather farfetched."

"Maybe so, but I'd much rather be safe than sorry," Naofumi declared. "There are plenty of stories of people having their intentions misunderstood and suffering for it. So long as I demand payment for doing something without asking for outrages things in return, I can avoid that, still help, and we could get a reward out of it. A win three times over as far as I am concerned."

Shirou remained sceptical, but nonetheless fell back into deep thought as he mulled over Naofumi's words. Though he found Naofumi's thought process strange, there was some logic to it.

Raphtalia was similarly thinking over Naofumi's words, but the fact that Filo had constantly been chirping away from her place in Naofumi's locks, mimicking her owner's gestures as he talked made it, for her, rather difficult to take it all seriously.

She'd been too busy fighting to keep her laughter in.

Naofumi, meanwhile, had called up his Menu again and accessed the information on a couple of his newer shields.

**Requirement met: [Beastmaster Shield I – Base Defence – 5 – Equip Bonus: Monster Growth up (small)]**

**[Monster Growth Up (small) – Provides small bonus Stat gain with each Level up (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Beastmaster Shield II – Base Defence – 5 – Equip Bonus: Monster Growth up (small)]**

**[Monster Growth Up (small) – Provides small bonus Stat gain with each Level up (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Beastmaster Shield III – Base Defence – 10 – Equip Bonus: Monster Growth up (medium)]**

**[Monster Growth Up (medium) – Provides medium bonus Stat gain with each Level up (mastered)]**

He had unlocked the Beastmaster Series of shields by feeding the Legendary Shield the shell of the egg Filo had hatched from, and got it all the way up to Beastmaster Shield III by absorbing some of Filo's feathers and a little of her blood. It mirrored the Companion Series in Equip Bonuses and bonus Stat gain it gave, only for monsters instead of companions, and he had yet to figure out how to unlock the Beastmaster Shield IV, but he was sure that he would figure it out eventually.

It was too bad that neither the Companion Series nor the Beastmaster Series of shields could be Awakened. Naofumi had been hoping that he might be able to further enhance the bonus Stat gain his party members got, but unfortunately it just wasn't possible. It was the first time he had encountered such an exception in the use of his Weapon Forms, and he wondered how many more such exceptions there were.

Some twenty minutes later, they arrived at the scene the scouts had reported where monsters spawned by the Wave were congregating. It was in a craggy passageway that was surrounded by sheer walls of solid stone high up in the mountain range. Precious few plants were able to grow in the solid surroundings, and hard wind blasted gravel laid across every surface.

"There it is."

Shirou narrowed his eyes from where he, Raphtalia and Naofumi were hiding behind a boulder. Even Filo seemed to understand the situation and was as silent as the grave. Ahead of them, at the opening of the passageway, was a small group of Otherworld Zombies, as if they were guarding said entrance that led farther up the mountain. There were undoubtedly more monsters up ahead.

It was also clear that the local monster population had been exterminated. From what he could see with his Status Magic, the Otherworld Zombies here were several Levels higher then they'd been during the Wave. The one's guarding the entrance were all around Level 25, while the highest Level of monsters they had encountered during the Wave was 20.

Just like humans, monsters Levelled Up as they killed other creatures. Only the hunting down of the local monster population could explain the Otherworld Zombie's rise in Level.

The question was, now that they had exterminated the local monsters, what would these Wave spawned Monsters do? Shirou very much doubted they'd just stay put and not bother anyone.

Shirou shared glances with his party members, and nodded. He drew his Oak Longbow, pulling out one of the Iron Arrows in his quiver as Raphtalia drew her sword and Naofumi raised his shield.

The upgraded Chimera Viper shield was equipped a second later.

They stepped around the boulder, coming into plain view of the Otherworld Zombies. Said monsters snapped towards them, but before they could sound the alarm…

_Twang!_

The sound of a bowstring being released echoed over the wind blasted area. One of the Otherworld Zombies fell over, an Iron Arrow having pierced its rotten eye socket, the arrowhead exploding out of the back of its head in a shower of gore. What in game terms would be a Critical Hit had killed it instantly.

The remaining Otherworld Zombies, 6 all told, bellowed like the beasts they were and rushed head long towards the attackers, decrepit weapons clutched in their hands. It was like a stampede out of a horror movie.

Shirou was less then affected by the display and loosed another 2 Iron Arrows before the monsters could close the distance. One punched through another eye socket, while the other ripped through the throat of his target, damn near decapitating the creature.

Naofumi was impressed. Shirou hadn't been lying when he said he was good at archery. The kid had killed off over a third of the enemy monsters before they were even on them.

But now the monsters were indeed on them, and that meant it was Naofumi's turn. He stepped up, shield raised, though he was fairly certain it wasn't necessary. His hunch proved true when one of the hammer blows raining down on his body slipped past his guard, only to bounce off harmlessly.

"Shield Bash!" he shouted, slamming his shield against the head of the nearest Zombies. The monster reeled from the blow, the Skill triggering and stunning it, taking it of the fight for a short while.

Not like it was really necessary, though. Raphtalia had already killed two of the Zombies, slicing them in twain, and Shirou joined her a moment later, having put away his bow and drawn his sword. By the time the Zombie that had been stunned could move again, all its compatriots had been slain.

Raphtalia's last slice neatly decapitated said monster's head without fanfare.

It didn't seem that the monster's higher Level would be much of a problem, even if said Levels were a little higher than their own. Naofumi's Stats were much higher than his Level would indicate thanks to all the other ways Hero's like himself could grow stronger besides Levelling. And Shirou and Raphtalia had the benefit of the Legendary Shield's Stat Growth Adjustment ability.

Actually, the higher Levels of the monster was proving to be a boon more than anything else.

**Naofumi EXP 285  
Shirou EXP 285  
Raphtalia EXP 310**

Naofumi blinked, momentarily not believing what he was seeing. The EXP from the last monster, just like they had gotten from the other Zombies, was far greater than he had expected.

"That's… a lot of EXP," Shirou said.

"Yeah," Raphtalia agreed, nonplussed. "When we killed these monsters during the Wave we didn't even get a tenth of the amount of EXP we just got."

Naofumi frowned in thought. That made no sense whatsoever. Because the other Heroes were near at the time, he hadn't gotten any EXP during the entirety of the Wave, as the Legendary Weapons were said to interfere with each other while they were in close proximity. He had been informed of this through a pop-up in his Menu shortly after arriving in this world. But the other Hero's weren't present right now, so he could gain EXP, but that still would not justify a tenfold increase in said EXP, even if these monsters had gone up a few Levels.

So what had changed?

As if to answer his question, another pop-up appeared in front of his face.

**[Wielders of the Legendary Weapons and their allies receive the Blessings of the World, increasing their rate of growth. This benefit is cancelled out for the Hero's allies and the Hero himself can't gain any EXP when two or more Heroes are close together, as the Legendary Weapons compete to receive the Blessing and none gain it as a result]**

Ah, that would explain it. Being a Hero and his companion truly had its benefits. Naofumi wondered if the adventurers that the Thrash King had provided the other Heroes were aware of this before they joined the parties of the other Heroes. If so, it would be utterly hilarious if said adventurers were just using Itsuki, Ren and Motoyasu to get an easy and free ride to success.

He relayed this to Shirou and Raphtalia before they formed up again and they started up the track of the passageway, only pausing to allow Shirou to retrieve the Iron Arrows he'd just used and to let the Legendary Shield absorb the slain monsters.

They met several marauding bands of Zombies as they made their way up the mountain. The path was filled to the brim with the monsters, but they easily dispatched them. The sheer cliffs that made up the walls of the passageway restricted the avenues of approach the monsters had, so all the Shield Hero had to do was stand in front. With his newly upgraded Chimera Viper Shield equipped, these little monsters hadn't a ghost of a chance of harming him. He simply blocked them as Shirou picked them off one by one with his bow and Raphtalia swung her sword from the safety of his back.

It was indeed easy, but that didn't mean that it was without merit.

**Naofumi Lv: 19  
Raphtalia Lv: 21  
Filo: Lv: 8  
Shirou: Lv: 21**

They weren't even halfway up the passageway yet and all of them had already gone up a Level. Hell, Filo had gone up 7 Levels in a good solid twenty minutes of fighting. The EXP gains here were simply insane. They had to wonder how much EXP they would have gotten if the other Hero's had not been present during the last Wave.

Shirou took the chance during a brief lull in the running battle to check his Stats. His eyes widened a little. It was like he had gone up two Levels, not one. His Stats had improved that much. The Companion Series of shields ability to improve Stat gain would be considered downright broken and unfair in an actual game.

Eventually, they came to the end of the passageway, having fought their way through another 50 or so Zombies by Shirou's count, only to find their way forward blocked.

**[Otherworld Zombie Giant Lv: 27]**

Another one of those big and uglies from the last Wave. It was a bit higher Level, but it shouldn't be a problem, even with the small horde of Zombies surrounding it.

The Zombie Giant roared a challenge as it spotted them, only to transition into a cry of pain as an arrow tipped with Iron punched through its eye. The giant monster rocked on its feet, stumbling and accidentally crushing one of its posse underfoot in its pained confusion.

It didn't die, unfortunately, the rules of this world combined with the monsters Defence and Hitpoint Stat ensuring its survival even if by all rights it should have died instantly. Shirou merely drew another Iron Arrow, notching it, aiming and firing it with practiced smoothness before the Zombie Giant could gather itself. Said arrow slid into giant monster's knee joint with deceptive grace, belying the damage that single hit did.

The Zombie Giant collapsed to a knee, its posse having been thrown into what amounted to panic and confusion. Some of the undead monsters rushed blindly at them.

Naofumi blocked their attacks effortlessly, not even needing to raise his shield. He just blocked the monster's frantic attacks with his arms and hands, and Raphtalia cut them down as Shirou continued to pick away at the Zombie Giant from a distance with his bow.

As Raphtalia continued to hack away at the small fry, kept safe by Naofumi, the Zombie Giant literally hurled itself at them in frustrated desperation.

"Air Strike Shield!"

The Zombie Giant bounced off the ethereal shield that manifested, once again knocked on its ass, and Naofumi dismissed the Air Strike Shield to give Shirou a clean shot again.

It was an opportunity Shirou didn't let go to waste. Another arrow tipped with iron punched through the first arrow that had impaled the Zombie Giant's eye, driving in deeper and killing the monster.

It didn't take long to take out the few remaining Zombies after that.

"Let's continue," Naofumi beckoned and they continued their track up the passageway.

Again, they continued to meet constant resistance, large groups of Zombies trying to stop them, but Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia were simply too strong for the monsters and the environment worked to the creature's disadvantage.

After a running battle up the path, they reached the end. There were no more enemies in sight.

"Uh, did any of the villager's mention this?"

Shirou's question caused Naofumi and Raphtalia to share a look and shake their heads. In front of the group, at the very end of the passageway, was an entrance to a cave. It was pitch black inside, and no movement was to be seen, but there was no way to know how deep the cave was. Since the Zombies had congregated in the passageway, it was not hard to guess what was inside.

"So this is their nest, huh?" Naofumi mussed. "You two wouldn't happen to know a thing or two about cave exploration?"

"Unfortunately not."

"Sorry, Naofumi-sama."

Naofumi stared into the pitch black darkness that led into the mountain itself, briefly considering pushing ahead regardless. They'd done something similar when they had entered the Dungeon at the foot of the mountain, but that was different. The layout of the Dungeon had been mapped long before he had even come to this world, so he knew what to expect going in, but here he didn't. There was no telling what dangers, aside the obvious, might be waiting for them inside.

"I say we go back," Raphtalia suddenly cut in. "We don't have the appropriate gear to go cave diving, we first need to prepare ourselves adequately before we go in."

"True," Naofumi agreed. "And maybe one of the villagers would know a thing or two about exploring caves. Let's go back."

Having decided to tackle the unexpected obstacle after having prepared themselves adequately, the group headed back down the mountain.

* * *

They returned the next day, with one extra party member in tow.

"You guys weren't kidding. This cave did not exist the last time I was here ," Zeph commented, gazing at the hole in the mountain.

Zeph was wearing his usual Apothecary clothes, satchel included, but there were a few new additions to his getup. A heavy looking backpack was slung over his shoulders, filled with a variety of tools. Several other tools were equipped to a built at his waist. And a moment's closer inspection revealed that underneath his usual clothes was another layer of protective fabrics that protected his most vulnerable areas. A long, sturdy knife was sheathed at the youth's side, the same one he had wielded during the Wave.

Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia were similarly decked out with variety of tools and protective clothing worn underneath their regular clothes and armor. Naofumi, meanwhile, had the Legendary Shield constantly cooking and preparing meals, storing them in his Item Box. It was impossible to know how deep the cave went or how long they would be down there, so he had made sure to stock up on a lot of ingredients for food and plenty of water for an extended stay underground.

Zeph traced the edge of the cave entrance with his hand, and frowned. "They dug this out."

"Why would they do that?" Shirou asked. "And could they really have dug out an entire cave like this in a matter of days?"

"If I were to hazard a guess, the monsters probably just collapsed the wall here to gain access to underground passageways that were already there," Zeph theorized. "As for why they would do so, I am not sure. Maybe we'll find out as we explore."

Naofumi nodded, and at a mental command 4 lanterns manifested from his shield. He lit the lanterns alight, the oil inside keeping the fire going, and passed them around. They attached the lanterns to their belts, allowing the light sources to dangle by their hips and illuminate the way forward as they'd descend into the cave.

"Thanks for coming with us, Zeph," Shirou said as they started down the cave.

"It's the least I could do," Zeph said from the rear of their formation. As the weakest combatant, that would be where he'd be staying. "The safety of my home might depend on rooting out this infestation. I am the only one with any real experience in cave exploration in the village, and you guys deserve my aid for all that you have done for us."

"Exploring caves is just a hobby for you right?" Raphtalia questioned. "Did you ever expect having to explore a cave in order to seek out and eradicate monsters?"

"Encountering monsters when exploring, especially in caves, is very common," Zeph said and shook his head. "I often go together with Alfyn, that's one of the reason why we are higher Level than most people would expect. Still, I never thought I would have to go caving in quite a situation like this."

"Still, you're skills and experience will come in handy now. Let's just hope everything goes smoothly and there are no surprises waiting for us down here," Naofumi said from the front.

"I think we can all agree to that," Shirou said. His hand hadn't drifted from the hilt of his sword since they had entered the cave. His bow would be next to useless in a cramped space like this.

Filo, meanwhile, was looking to and fro from her position on Naofumi's head. Instead of being scared like some might her have expected to be, she merely acted curious. The fact that compared to the day before she had swelled to the size of a football was more surprising. Monster's, like demi-humans, grew as they Levelled, but even considering that, everyone, even the Monster Breeder back in Riyute Village, had been surprised at Filo's rapid growth. Naofumi chalked it up to the Legendary Shield's Growth Adjustment ability.

They continued their way down the cave, falling silent. All of them strained their ears, but could not hear anything that would pinpoint the location of any monsters that had infested this place. Thanks to their lanterns, they could see perfectly well in the darkness of the cave, but only for so far. They'd have to use all of their senses on order to keep proper track of their surroundings.

It was moments like this that Shirou was grateful to have become a demi-human. The much sharper sense of hearing was handy in situations like this.

A few moments later, they came to a fork in the road, two tunnels splitting off.

"Which do we take?"

Both Shirou and Raphtalia strained their ears again, and after a moment they'd pointed to the tunnel on the right. "This one. I can hear faint scratching sounds coming from there," Shirou said. Raphtalia nodded in agreement.

With that, they continued down the right tunnel. Zeph scratched an X mark on the wall of said tunnel with his knife. If and when they came back here, they would know they had tread this path before. It was and old caving trick meant to help people keep track of where they'd been before and help them find their way back out of a cave.

"The sound is getting closer," Raphtalia said halfway drawing her swords. The others similarly readied themselves.

Shirou once again strained his ears. The sound had transitioned from a scratching noise to a sound of footsteps that steadily grew in volume and number until it sounded like a stampede.

"Incoming!" Shirou called, the first Otherworld Zombie emerging from the gloom ahead.

Filo, instinctually knowing the danger, jumped from her place on Naofumi's head and took up position behind the Shield Hero. Naofumi, meanwhile, braced himself and leaned forward, lashing out with his shield. "Shield Bash!" he shouted. The Legendary Shield struck the Zombie's head, the Skill he had used stunning it.

It made very little difference. Behind the first Zombie came what appeared to be an endless tide of undead monsters stampeding in their direction, like a river of necrotized flesh. In the claustrophobic surroundings of the tunnel, though, the advantage the enemy horde had in numbers was negated as they simply didn't have the room to gang up on their opponents. If anything, their numbers became a disadvantage as they were bottlenecked straight towards an unmoving wall: Naofumi.

Dozens of blows rained down on the Shield Hero, and the Zombies tried to push forward with the sheer weight of their press of bodies.

But Naofumi would not be moved. He simply hunkered down, instinctually making himself as small as possible and hiding his body behind his shield as much as he could, yet knowing that these monsters were not capable of harming him in the slightest. He had set his feet and held his ground stubbornly, the distinctive sound of the no damage indicator resounding again and again.

Shirou and Raphtalia stabbed with their swords from the safety of Naofumi's back. With a stab or two, one of the Otherworld Zombies died. They did not move, but simply held their ground, allowing the dumb as rocks monsters to fall on their unmoving wall and be ground to dust.

It lasted for about ten minutes, but eventually the last Zombie of the enemy horde fell.

"I'll take care of this."

Naofumi grimaced at the tunnel in front of them, every inch of it filled with bodies pilled several high and slick with blood. It wasn't a pleasant sight by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, he absorbed the slain monsters one by one into his shield with but a touch. He was sure he would get a lot of useful loot, but taking the time to absorb every slain monster was a pain.

On the plus side, they no longer needed to dismantle monsters manually by cutting them up, as the Legendary Shield could, in fact, do that automatically. On the whole, they would lose much less time with after battle clean up then before.

"That's the last of them. Let's continue."

They continued through the tunnel, meeting groups of Otherworld Zombies periodically, which they easily dispatched. After another twenty minutes of walking, they came to another fork in the road, this time splitting off into three separate tunnels. Again, relying on Shirou's and Raphtalia's sharp ears, they chose one of the paths and continued. Zeph marked down the path they had come from.

"I wonder what might be down those other paths?" Raphtalia mussed.

"We'll find out later," Shirou said. "We might be following the path where there's probably the most of those Wave spawned monsters, but they could be anywhere in this cave. We are going to have to search and clear out this entire cave system if we want to ensure the village's safety."

Naofumi grimaced at the thought, but consoled himself that it wasn't a waste of time. The EXP gain here was incredible, and they, especially Filo, were Levelling quickly.

**Naofumi Lv: 24  
Shirou Lv: 26  
Raphtalia Lv: 26  
Zeph Lv: 19  
Filo Lv: 16**

At this rate, they might just catch up with other Hero's Level wise. That thought, though, prompted a question to pop up in Naofumi's mind.

"Shirou," he called. "There's something I want to ask you."

"Shoot."

"Motoyasu was much less strong than I had expected him to be during the duel," Naofumi began. "I mean, he was more than twice my Level and yet his normal attacks simply bounced off. Any idea how that's possible?"

Shirou blinked. "Any reason you want to know that?"

"It has been bothering me for a while now…"

Shirou frowned and called up the information on the Legendary Spear, reviewing all that he knew. He blinked, surprised. On a hunch, he similarly called up information on the Legendary Sword, only to find the same thing. "Huh, I think I know why Motoyasu didn't appear to be as strong as expected. It's because you, Naofumi, are much stronger that your Level would indicate."

"Huh?"

"From what I can tell about the Legendary Spear and its history, Motoyasu doesn't seem to be aware that a single monster can unlock more than one Weapon Form," Shirou began. "Nor does he seem to know that continually feeding the same materials to the Legendary Weapons will master that form quickly. During the duel, he only had a little more than 150 Weapon Forms mastered, and most of those are from weapons he copied in shops. His Level might be higher than yours, but you've built up a lot more Equipment Bonuses, more than enough to offset the difference in Stats."

"And considering Naofumi-sama's defence focused Stat gain and Skill set…" Raphtalia continued.

Shirou nodded. "It should have only be expected that the Spear Hero's normal attacks were less than effective."

"Hah!" Naofumi let out a bark of laughter. "All that boasting that he knew all that there was to know about this world, and that gullible fool doesn't even understand the basics! What a riot! HAHAHAH!"

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia rebuked, scandalized by his less than Hero-esque reaction.

Shirou coughed and said, "To be fair, the Sword Hero doesn't seem to know these things either…"

Naofumi snorted. "That makes it even funnier. Those three Cardinal Hero Stooges…"

Filo chirped and skipped from where she was walking along by the Shield Hero's feet, happy seeing her owner being happy.

"I have no clue what you guys are talking about," Zeph muttered from the back of the formation.

After some more laughter from Naofumi, the group fell silent again. They'd continued through the tunnels, the path branching again and again, Zeph using his tips and tricks to keep track where they'd come from. They encountered Otherworld Zombies continuously, but with Naofumi's Defence Stat acting as their wall and the surroundings working to their advantage, the monsters were not so much a threat, but more a walking line of free EXP.

Finally, after walking another ten minutes, the tunnel opened up in a large, open space. Large, jagged red crystals sprouted from every surface, dotting the cavern and lighting it in an ominous crimson hue. This, combined with the large host of Otherworld Zombie populating the cavern, made all of the group have flashbacks to the harrowing battle of the Wave.

Shirou's sharp gaze counted the numbers of the enemy horde. "I count a little over 80 monsters," he said.

"How we're going to do this?" Raphtalia whispered. The Otherworld Zombies had yet to notice them.

"I think it'd be best if we goaded them to enter the tunnel," Shirou responded. "They will not be able to take advantage of their numbers and they can't get past Naofumi."

"Sounds like a plan," Naofumi said, already raising his shield and preparing himself. "Shirou, will you do the honors?"

Shirou nodded and drew his bow. He pulled back the string, notched an Iron Arrow and paused for a brief moment to give everyone the chance to ready themselves.

And then he released the bowstring. The Iron Arrow sliced through the air with a faint hissing sound, and a bare second later an Otherworld Zombie in the center of cavern was knocked on its back, killed soundlessly by the arrow that had punched through its skull between its rotten eyes.

There was a moment of silence, which was then broken by a cacophony of roars. Quickly pinpointing where the attack had come from, a stampede of necrotized flesh rushed to meet their attackers.

They edged back into the tunnel, simply watching as the Otherworld Zombies rushed them.

_Stupid monsters_, Naofumi inwardly grumbled, bracing himself.

The Zombie's charge entered the tunnel and broke upon the wall that was Naofumi, like how water would breaking upon a dam. They struck impotently upon the Shield Hero's body and shield, doing no damage and lacking the strength to push him back.

It wasn't long before the Otherworld Zombies laid slain, Shirou and Raphtalia having stabbed them to death. Said corpses were then absorbed into the Legendary Shield by Naofumi.

"So," Shirou began after they had finished the after battle clean up, if you could even call it a battle. "Anyone know what these crystals are?"

"I'm afraid I don't know much about geology or anything," Zeph said, shrugging.

Naofumi turned his shield into the Pickaxe Shield, a shield that raised his mining Skill. He broke off a small piece of one of the nearest crystal and fed it to his shield.

**Requirement met: [Prani Crystal Shield - Base Defence 10 – Equip Bonus: +8 magic (unmastered)]**

"Apparently, it's called Prani Crystal," Naofumi informed them.

"Are… Are you sure?" Zeph asked, eyes wide.

"According to the Legendary Shield, this is Prani Crystal," Naofumi explained. "Why the surprise?"

"Prani Crystal is a very valuable gemstone. Even a single crystal of poor quality will still net someone 50 silver pieces," Zeph said. "Prani Crystal is crystalized magical energy. It's very useful for mages in the preparation of rituals and whatnot, and not particularly common, which is why it's so valuable. I have never even seen Prani Crystal in person…"

"Huh," Naofumi looked around the cavern filled to the brim with the bright red crystal. "I think we've found how you guys will be able to pay us."

Zeph nodded, the realization slowly setting in that his home was about to receive a serious economic windfall.

* * *

"I can't believe it," Alfyn breathed.

They currently found themselves in the biggest room at the Inn that was used as a sort of conference room. Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia were sitting at a large round table, joined by Alfyn, Zeph, and the Village Elder.

"You'd better believe it, I was there too," Zeph said. "An entire chamber filled with Prani Crystal. Hell, we even found more chambers with other kinds of valuable ores and crystals. We're sitting on a literal goldmine, as in there's _literal_ gold to be found down there, and we have not even mapped out the entire system of caves yet."

Yes, they had, and Naofumi was still smarting, because none of those crystals and ores had been the correct materials to further improve on the Chimera Viper Shield through [Weapon Tempering]. Truthfully, he had no right to complain, because he had unlocked another half a dozen shields with those materials and he had taken more than a few ores and crystals and stored them away in his shield for later use, but _still_.

"This is a great opportunity," the Village Elder, an old man with a thick beard and skin the texture of leather, said. "This village was first founded as a mining town, but that business dried up here when the mine inexplicably became a dungeon. With this discovery, we can go back to the old ways, and if what you are describing isn't an exaggeration…"

"It isn't," Zeph assured.

"Then we will be more than able to make up for the financial losses we incurred with the Wave," the Village Elder said. "But first we'll have to clear the caves of monsters…"

"We were already doing that, but considering this windfall I hope you understand that we'll be asking for a bit more than we'd originally decided on," Naofumi said, crossing his arms.

"Name your price," the Village Elder replied.

"I realize that it will take some time before you can get a mining operation set up, and that it will also take a little while before the economic benefits to start flowing into the village, so I'll won't ask too much," Naofumi laid out his reasoning. "In exchange for mapping the cave system and clearing it out, not to mention finding it, we request that we'll always have free access and be able to mine here as much as we want. Also, whenever I or my party seek to purchase any of the materials mined here, we will get favourable prices. Lets say… 20% less then market price."

The Village Elder seemed to ponder this for a short moment, then exchanged glances with Zeph and Alfyn. After a moment, he turned back to Naofumi, decision made.

"I think we can agree to that," the Village Elder said. "I'll draw up a Magical Contract."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. Magical Contract?

He had a sneaking suspicion what such a document would entail…

* * *

Shirou sighed as they emerged in the open air again, leaving the cave behind for the fifth time in as many days. Feeling the sun on his skin after several hours of cave exploration was a relieve to say the least.

"Good work everyone," Zeph said, waving a rolled up piece of paper he had used to map out the cave system. "I think we have mapped out the entire cave. Now we just need to do another sweep to make sure that there are no more monsters down there and check for any hidden passageways we might have missed, and you will have done your part. The rest will be up to us."

They'd been entering and exploring the cave daily for several hours, and like Zeph had said, they were pretty sure they'd cleared the cave of virtually all Wave spawned monsters. After the third day, the encounters with the Otherworld Zombies had dropped considerably, and today they'd only fought two lone stragglers. This was annoying, as it meant that their EXP gain had dropped almost to nothing, but considering their progress…

**Naofumi Lv: 31  
Shirou Lv: 33  
Raphtalia Lv: 33  
Filo Lv: 28**

The entire group couldn't find it in themselves to complain. The fact that they had found many and varied deposits of precious metals and ores that would revitalize Riyute Village, not to mention earn the group a pretty penny, made it definitely worth the effort.

"Gah!" Filo cried happily from where she walked beside them, equally as happy to be outside again.

Shirou glanced to the side where the Filolial walked. The _full-grown _Filolial. Even having gone through the process of accelerated growth himself, Shirou found himself surprised at how fast Filo had grown. In less than five days Filo was all grown up, and had proven to be a menace on the battlefield, displaying incredible speed, massive attack power and a sharp instinct for battle.

Now Filo was even a bit taller than him and Naofumi, being ever six and a half feet tall. Her features were ostrich-like, with a long neck, powerful legs and stubby wings. Her feathers were now a pristine white, with a few pink mixed in, and her eyes were a large and a deep blue. A large beak dominated her face.

He himself had found himself sceptical when Naofumi had bought that monster egg, but he felt no shame admitting he had been wrong. Filo's purchase had been worth every piece of silver she'd cost, both for her capability in battle and for her use as a beast of burden.

"Gah!" Filo cried, turning towards Naofumi with pleading eyes. The Shield Hero grumbled to himself, experience having taught him what Filo wanted, and took out several hundred pounds of cooked meat from his shield. Filo devoured it all in a few gulps even as they walked and simply whined for more when she was done. Shirou chuckled. It was a strook of exceptional good fortune that they now knew about the Legendary Shield's automatic cooking function, or feeding Filo would have cost them a fortune. Now they just processed meat from vanquished monsters into food for her.

"What is the next step now that the cave has been mapped and cleared?" Raphtalia asked, breaking Shirou from his thoughts.

"When the mine at the foot of the mountain closed down, most of the people who lived off the work said mine provided moved away to other mining towns," Zeph said. "Some of those have even had moderate success starting their own mining companies. The Village Elder has been working to contact the people who have the know-how, skills and funds to set up a mining operation, informing them of our find and offering them the chance to get in on the opportunity. In exchange for supplying the funds and the people necessary to get started, they'll get that chance."

"Sounds complicated," Naofumi commented. It sounded like a hard bargain to wage.

"It is, but the old guy is a good negotiator if nothing else," Zeph said. "I'm sure they will have everything hashed out before the end of the month. The potential wealth to be gained is too great to ignore for any businessman worth their salt."

Suddenly, Filo ran off down the path with a war cry, startling all of them. A local monster, a Red Borbatusk, that had been chased away by the arrival of the Wave spawned monsters and apparently returned now that the foreign invasion into its territory had gone away, looked up from where it had been looking for food. It only had a chance to widen its eyes before it died, Filo planting a vicious kick against its side that damn near snapped it in half and killed it instantly.

"Filo!" Naofumi shouted as they ran after the Filolial. "Don't just rush off like that!"

"Gah?" Filo tilted her head, apparently not comprehending what she had done wrong.

Zeph chuckled. "That's one damn feisty bird. I hope you'll be able to control her going forward. She's already ridiculously strong."

"I know," Naofumi grumbled, and quickly absorbed the monster corpse into his shield before Filo started tearing into it. Filo had proven to be willing to eat almost anything, even monsters they had just killed, if he didn't take it out of her sight pronto. It did not unlock any new shield for him, as he already unlocked all the shields corresponding to the Red Borbatusk before the Wave, but whatever item drops it would give him might be useful.

With that, they descended down the mountain. Filo continued to run off periodically to kill some of the monsters she spotted on the way down, but all in all, it was a pleasant end of their day.

Still, as they walked down the mountain, Shirou thought that he could hear some noise coming from Filo: a faint cracking sound, as if her bones were realigning. Was she still growing? Certainly not, she had to be fully grown by now. Right?

* * *

It happened the very next morning, an hour or so before they normally awoke. They were awoken by a heavy crashing sound heard just outside their window in the Inn, right near the stables where Filo'd been spending her nights.

Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia had already been throwing their clothes on, having an inkling what, or more precise, _who_, had been the cause behind that noise, before their door was thrown open.

It was the Inkeeper. "Shield Hero, come quick! It's your Filolial, she's…"

"Is Filo alright?" Naofumi asked, a little bit of worry audible in his voice.

"I, yes, I guess so, but…"

The man didn't seem to be able to articulate what exactly had happened. They finished dressing and went outside as quickly as they could.

A group of haggard looking villagers, the noise clearly having woken them up as well, crowded around the stable. Said stable's side wall had been demolished, something having broken through it from the inside. And who had done it was more then obvious. She was being gawked at by everyone, Naofumi, Shirou and Raphtalia included.

It was Filo, probably, but she had changed significantly compared to the day before.

"Filo, is that you?" Naofumi asked, working himself through the crowd.

The suspected Filo laid eyes on her owner, and gave a happy cry at the sight of him. Naofumi had to tilt his head back to take her in fully.

In a way, it looked like she had regressed back into a chick. Filo was now almost as wide as she was tall, said height now being over 8 feet and being 6 feet wide. She looked like a cross between an owl and an ostrich, her previously long neck hidden behind her feathers. Her feathers were pure white, except for a small plum of pink feathers on her chest, and a smattering of pink feathers on her wings. Long feathers, almost like eyebrows, extended from above her eyes and framed her head.

"W-what the hell happened?" Shirou asked bewildered. "I thought she was full grown."

"Me too," Raphtalia said, nodding and a little put off when Filo began nuzzling Naofumi like a puppy.

"She was, or she should have been," the Monster Breeder made his way through the crowd.

"You wouldn't happen to know what's going on with Filo, right?" Naofumi asked, having little success in getting Filo to quit it with her affectionate display.

"Maybe, I think I might have read something about an extra state of development that some Filolials go through, but that was a long time ago. I'd have to do a little research first, if you want a definite answer," the Monster Breeder said.

Naofumi grumbled, but nodded that he would wait for said definite answer. He then turned towards the Innkeeper. "I'm sorry about this, and I'll pay for the damages. How much?"

"You don't have to, Shield Hero…"

"Please don't misunderstand. I would feel guilty if I didn't pay for this. I'm doing it for purely selfish reasons. Now, how much?" Naofumi bulled ahead, not seeing the approving looks he got from Shirou and Raphtalia.

* * *

It was hour later that the Monster Breeder returned carrying an old book under his arm. They'd been waiting outside the Inn playing with Filo and constantly feeding the bottomless pit that was her stomach. The crowd of villagers had already dispersed by the time the Monster Breeder returned, so it was a fairly private setting.

"Did you find it?" Naofumi asked from where he was sitting, having just finished feeding another round of food to Filo.

"I have," the Monster Breeder said, flipping upon the book he was carrying and placing it on the table in front of Naofumi. It was a book about monsters, and the Monster Breeder's finger indicated the text of one particular entry: Filolial Queen/King.

"A Filolial Queen, huh?" Naofumi mussed, reading the titel it with difficulty and turning his head to look at Filo. She was currently playing a game of fetch with Shirou and Raphtalia.

"Correct," the Monster Breeder nodded. "They are said to be the elites of their race, but there is not much information on them. That's because they are said to be able to transform themselves in order to look like an ordinary Filolial and hide themselves in the fast flocks they rule over. It's also said that a Filolial Queen has instinctive knowledge on and the capability to perform magic."

"Anything else?" Naofumi asked. This conversation was turning out to be thoroughly interesting.

"I've not been able to find anything else, I'm afraid," the Monster Breeder shook his head and sighed.

"So, we're basically going in blind. What else is new," Naofumi said, sighing. "I am sure we have more than enough food stored to feed her, no matter how much she might need. But Filo is already so big and strong, I already can see we'll have trouble later down the line," he grumbled.

Unbeknownst to him, Filo had heard his complaints, and decided to do something about it.

Naofumi heard an odd sound behind him, almost the same sound as steam erupting out of a vent, but not quite the same. Shirou and Raphtalia cried out in surprise while the eyes of the Monster Breeder went wide as he looked over the Shield Hero's shoulder. For some reason, Naofumi _really_ didn't want to turn around and look what was going on behind him.

"Master, I'm hungry!" a young girl's voice singsonged.

Naofumi mechanically turned around to look. Filo had transformed, taking on the form of a young girl, maybe around 10 years old. She had pure white skin, long blond hair, clear blue eyes and a cute face. A pair of angels wings grew out of her back.

Oh, and she was buck naked. Couldn't forget that.

"Well," the Monster Breeder said. "I guess that confirms a Filolial Queen's ability to transform, if not in the way described in the book..."

Filo launched herself at Naofumi and started tugging at the hem of his shirt, unconcerned for her nakedness. "Come on, Master! Filo's hungry! Can you make something yummy for Filo?"

It was an early hour, but there still were a few people out and about. Said people pointed at the spectacle and whispered between themselves. Naofumi's brow started to twitch rampantly as Shirou frantically Projected a sheet to cover Filo.

A naked 10 year old girl, calling him master and asking for something "yummy". What had he done to deserve something this utterly ridiculous?

* * *

Filo was stuffing her face.

This wasn't odd in and of itself, but the fact that she was now a young girl attacking the plate of food he had cooked for her like a wild animal, was, in fact, a rather odd and a sight to behold. At least Zeph had been kind enough to give them an old dress of Nina's so Filo wasn't naked anymore. That at least was an improvement.

They had retreated to their room at the Inn to talk in private.

"So, uhm, Filo," Naofumi began hesitantly. "Is this… how you look now?"

"Eh, when I wanna," Filo said around several mouths full of food. "But I can change back when I want to."

"Okay," Naomi murmured, nodding. "And, what do you want to do now?"

"Whatever Master wants to do, I'll do. I'm Master's Filo!" Filo nodded energetically.

"Are you sure? I mean, you could do anything with your life…" Naofumi hedged.

"No! Filo wants to stay with Master! Always!" Filo shouted her wants without a care in the world.

Man, that imprinting was really something. She was completely loyal to him even if he didn't feel like he had done anything to deserve that loyalty like with Shirou and Raphtalia. As a monster, he just thought it logical, but now that she could take on the form of a girl, he found it rather weird, but this is what Filo wanted, so…

"I see. I am happy to have you, Filo," Naofumi said sincerely.

"Welcome to the team," Shirou said.

"Let's do our best for Naofumi-sama, Filo," Raphtalia smiled.

"Of course, Shirou Onii-chan, Raphtalia Onee-chan!" Filo cried happily.

Naofumi hid a smile as Filo referred to Shirou and Raphtalia, who shared a surprised look, as her siblings. They were pretty much siblings in his mind. They even had somewhat similar features even if they weren't related at all, and after everything they had been through together… He really thought they'd make excellent siblings of each other.

And he was taking care of all three of them. So, did that make him their father? Well as the father, he better lay out some ground rules with Filo first.

"Okay, then Filo, I expect you to fight monster. Do you understand?" Naofumi asked.

Filo nodded. Having finished her third plate of food, she reached for her fourth, digging in with gusto.

Naofumi ignored her atrocious table manners, Filo eating with her hands and all that, and continued. "I also need you to listen to my orders, always, especially during battle."

"Whatever makes Master happy, Filo will do!"

Naofumi coughed. This simple minded devotion was… not bad, but definitely odd. "Okay, we will be going cave exploring again in half an hour or so. So be ready to leave."

"Okay!" Filo shovelled the last morsels into her mouth. She jumped back over the table, transforming back into her Filolial Queen form in an explosion of smoke, ripping her dress to shreds. "Filo's ready!"

"Don't transform inside!" Raphtalia rebuked.

Shirou sighed and reached down to collect the shredded remains. "I'll ask Zeph if he has anymore old clothes of Nina lying around," he grumbled. "I feel we are going to need them."

**Requirement met: [Beastmaster Shield IV – Base Defence – 10 – Equip Bonus: Monster Growth up (large)]**

**[Monster Growth Up (large) – Provides large bonus Stat gain with each Level up (unmastered)]**

* * *

It was after the sixth and final time that they had descended down into the cave up in the mountains that it happened. They had travelled back down and had just entered Riyute Village proper that they heard the makings of a riot.

"You can't do this! What the hell are you thinking?!"

Filo cocked her head at the shouting. She was in her human form, wearing an old dress of Nina's.

"Alfyn?" Zeph had recognized the voice heard clearly over the uproar, as had the others. They'd sped up, heading towards he main gate of the village where the apparent row was coming from.

A large crowd had formed there. What appeared to be the entire population of the village had been gathered, and it was immediately apparent that none of them were happy. As a matter of fact, many of them were outright angry.

But none more so than Alfyn who stood at the head of the pissed off crowd, arguing passionately with a group of unfortunately familiar faces.

Motoyasu appeared surprised at the vitriol he was being met with. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Alfyn repeated, then waved a piece of paper he had just been given. "You think you can just stroll in here, declare yourself our leader and take over the reconstruction efforts just like that? You may be a Hero, but you cannot just do what you want. Not to mention that your orders are insane. You'd run is into the ground!"

"I have to agree," the Village Elder said. "I'm the governor of this village, and it's a position I was elected to by the people. Its highly irregular that the King has simply declared these lands under your rule. And your proposed policies… I understand the need to raise money for the reconstruction, but levying a toll of 50 pieces of silver for entering the village, and another 50 pieces of silver for leaving the village would drive us into poverty! We would never be able to survive with taxes like that!"

"But it's not that much money," Motoyasu protested.

"Not that much…" Alfyn repeated again, looking at him wide eyed.

Naofumi blinked in disbelieve. Motoyasu truly had a warped sense of the worth of money in this world. For the average person to live comfortably in this country, 20 pieces of bronze a day was sufficient. Staying at an Inn with a hot meal included was just a piece of silver. These new proposed taxes… the people could live for a 100 days with that money.

Who could even eat with taxes like that?

Shirou very much agreed. The demi-human marched up to the Spear Hero. Before he could say his piece, though, another person cut in.

"The gallant Spear Hero, Motoyasu-sama, has been given governorship over these lands by the King's decree! All in recognition of his glorious victory in the last Wave of Calamity! Are you implying that you all will disobey a direct order from your King?"

It was Malty, Myne, or whatever she was calling herself in that moment. She was haranguing the people with her spiel and grandstanding in the Spear Hero's name. The other girls of the Spear Hero's party were lined up behind her, and a large group of knights stood a little ways away.

"The King can't just do what he wants either!" Alfyn shouted, even as the Village Elder tried to rein him in. "The Spear Hero didn't even do anything to actually defend us during the Wave! And now you waltz in here, with this ridiculous decree and demands, and expect us just to roll over for you?!"

Even as Alfyn shouted the shared thoughts of the people of Riyute Village, some of the townsfolk already looked resigned. What could they realistically do against an order of the Crown? Not much, if anything at all.

Myne glared, failing spectacularly at hiding her displeasure. It was clear that she wasn't used to be being questioned, especially not in the manner Alfyn was doing it. "Motoyasu-sama fought and helped defeat the strongest monsters that were spawned by the Wave! He deserves your loyalty!"

"No, he really doesn't," Shirou said drily as he stepped into view of the Spear Hero and his party.

"You are…"

"The Spear Hero deserves loyalty?" Shirou repeated and shook his head. "Why should the people of Riyute Village be loyal to a person that outright abandoned them during their hour of need?"

Motoyasu glared at him. "I didn't abandon anyone! The Wave can only be stopped by killing the Boss Monster! The faster we killed the Boss Monster and stopped the Wave, the better!"

"It doesn't matter how _fast_ you would have done it, nothing would have been fast enough," Shirou countered. "Because stopping the Wave doesn't make the monsters that have already appeared just up and disappear. You left the people of this village to face a deadly threat without any kind of protection. If it weren't for Naofumi taking the task of protecting the people upon himself, chances are that a lot more people, maybe even most, would have died."

"We signalled for the knight's to come here!"

"And it took them over an hour to do so," Shirou dismissed that argument. "There still would have been massive casualties."

Motoyasu gritted his teeth, apparently out of arguments.

"You really didn't think your strategy through during the Wave, huh?" Naofumi chuckled nastily as he walked up, the rest of the party plus Zeph trailing in his wake.

Myne sneered at the Shield Hero. "Quiet, you. The thoughts and opinions of a common criminal like yourself means less then dirt. Just like these filthy demi-humans you call your allies. Speaking of which, Motoyasu-sama won't tolerate criminals on his land. Get on your way and out of our sight!"

Naofumi was about to explode. Calling him a common criminal was bad enough, but the fact the she had insulted his party members damn near pushed him over the edge.

"Oh, so Motoyasu wouldn't stand for Myne here to be on his land. What are you even doing here in the first place, then?" Shirou asked.

Myne, and everyone else, blinked at the sudden question.

"…What?"

"I mean, last I checked, knowingly falsely accusing someone of a crime is by itself also a crime," Shirou explained, trying to affect innocence, but there was no missing the sarcastic edge to his voice. "I could understand if you might not have realized that, as rotten as you are, but _you_ are the common criminal in this situation. So I'll ask again, what are you even doing here if the Spear Hero so loathes criminals? Has he taken pity on you?"

Naofumi barely held back a snort as Shirou really let his snarky side out to play, his mood soaring at the look on the that Bitch's face. Said face had gone as red as the princesses' hair, but someone else cut in before she could erupt.

"Myne did not lie!" Motoyasu thundered. "Naofumi-"

"We have been over this," Shirou cut him off. "She had every motivation to lie, while Naofumi never has shown any indication that he would, or even could, do what she accused him of. Considering the situation, her accusation is so full of holes it might as well not exist."

"What motivation?! Why would Myne possibly lie about being raped by a scumbag!"

"We alluded to one of her possible motivations the last time: the Church of the Three Heroes. Didn't you follow up on that and see what the church says about the Shield Hero?" Shirou asked deadpan. "Even besides that, there are plenty of reasons she could have lied. Her actions during the duel have proven that she's more than morally bankrupt enough that she could have lied and tried to ruin Naofumi out of pure sadism."

"You filthy demi-human!" Myne did not appreciate the aspersions to her character, no matter how well deserved. "You dare-"

"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked, thank you very much," Shirou cut her off.

Malty's reaction at the sheer disrespect she was being met with was a sight to behold: her face as red as her hair, veins throbbing in her rage and teeth gritted in a snarl so vicious it would have been more suited on a monster. She looked like she was about to start screaming, or try and reach out and strangle Shirou.

Said demi-human gave her a flat look in return, all but daring her to try.

Surprisingly, she took a deep breath and calmed herself. Then she grinned nastily at them. "It doesn't matter what you say or think. Motoyasu-sama has been made governor of this backwater, his word is now final in these lands. Now leave, or-"

Suddenly, Malty was surrounded by people dressed in black. Their manor of dress that covered their bodies whole, face included, which made it impossible to tell anything about them.

They were like ninjas. One moment there wasn't a whisper of their presence, the next they had the princes surrounded.

"Miss Myne. We come baring a message for you," one of the figures said, their voice so distorted it was impossible to tell of the person was male or female.

Myne accepted the rolled up sheet of parchment with a look of displeasure. Her expression changed from displeasure to apoplectic as she read message's content.

"That damn meddling piece of…" the princess masquerading as an adventurer hissed.

Naofumi's eyes narrowed. Who could have the power to enrage that Bitch so? If he ever met them, he would by them a drink just for getting the wind out of her sails in that moment. Still, he was very curious to find out what was written down on that piece of parchment.

"Master, what is going on? Who are these strange people?" Filo asked curiously.

Naofumi sighed. "Just a gullible fool, an unmitigated Bitch and their entourage. As far the ninja's, I'm afraid I don't know. It be better if you keep your distance from all of them, Filo."

"Okay!"

Motoyasu turned towards Naofumi badmouthing him, eyes narrowed in anger, but he froze when he laid his gaze on Filo. A flush began to creep up his neck and cover his cheeks, as his gaze remained on Filo with frightening intensity.

"What do you think you are you looking at?" Naofumi asked, voice flat.

Motoyasu didn't seem to notice. He only had eyes for Filo, mumbling to himself. "…Angel," that was the only word that was heard clearly.

"Master, why is that strange Spear Guy looking at Filo like that?" Filo asked.

That seemed to get a reaction. "…Master," Motoyasu said slowly, an enraged look entering his eyes. "Naofumi, you bastard!" he snarled. "You… you bought yourself another slave!? You-"

"She isn't my slave," Naofumi said before the Spear Hero could really build up any steam.

"What? But she called you her master!"

"Don't think too deeply about it. That's just Filo being Filo," Naofumi rebuffed Motoyasu's words in a bland manner. "There isn't any Slave Crest on her, now is there?"

Motoyasu studied Filo closely. He grudgingly had to admit that Filo didn't bare a Slave Crest.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Myne suddenly shouted. "High level Slave Crests can remain invisible if so chosen!"

And just like that, the anger was back on Motoyasu's face.

"I'll repeat it until it gets through your skulls," Naofumi sighed, annoyed. "I don't use slaves anymore. Shirou, Raphtalia and Filo aren't my slaves, they are my companions. End of story."

"That doesn't matter!" Motoyasu declared. "Even if they aren't your slaves, you are a man with loose hands who can't be trusted around woman or children. I still say Raphtalia should dump your ass and this beautiful angel shouldn't even get within ten feet of you!"

Naofumi gritted his teeth. The self-righteousness on display was sickening.

Motoyasu turned his attention to Filo. "Beautiful angel, please abandon this piece of trash and come to my side! Naofumi must be working you hard, right? The mere thought of how he must be mistreating you makes my heart ache! Just give the word, and I will strike this man down and set you free!"

The Spear Hero finished his spiel with a dramatic flourish of his Legendary Spear.

Filo gave him a confused look. She almost looked at him pityingly. "Master… Is Spear Guy right in the head? Why is he talking so strange and saying crazy things like that?"

Naofumi snorted. "I don't think he ever was, even before coming to this world. It just became worse when he started to interact with… less than reputable woman and nobles."

"Enough!" Myne shouted and marched forward, shaking the piece of parchment she had been given in a tightly clenched fist. "It will be a competition!"

What? Multiple people narrowed their eyes. What was this crazy bint going on now?

Naofumi's eyes drifted to the piece of parchment. What was written on there for this Bitch to declare something that outlandish?

"Between the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero!" Myne continued to thunder. "Whoever wins gets to decide who will govern these lands henceforth! If you don't, we won't relinquish our right to rule these people!"

The ninjas started whispering between themselves.

What a bunch of complete nonsense. Naofumi's face darkened in displeasure. He didn't want Riyute Village to fall under the control of this gullible idiot and his Bitch, but neither did he want to take part in whatever crackpot scheme that Bitch was cooking up right now.

_Give me a break._

Before Naofumi really got a chance to ponder his options, someone else cut in.

"It will be a duel, then. One on one between the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero. Same rules as during the banquet," Shirou suddenly declared.

"What?!" Naofumi let slip in his surprise. "Shirou, I don't want…"

"Naofumi," Shirou turned towards the Shield Hero. "Are you sure you don't want to properly finish that duel? To have a fair fight and see who wins? If it weren't for the interference last time you could very well have won," he said. What nonsense. Naofumi _definitely_ would have won.

Shirou made a show of darting his eyes between the Legendary Spear in Motoyasu's hands and the Legendary Shield strapped to Naofumi's arm. The Shield Hero noticed immediately, and unnoticed by anyone else his own eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Considering all that he had learned, how much he had been able to improve his shield as a result, and how much Shirou was able to perceive about the Legendary Weapons with just a glance…

"Heh," Naofumi snorted. "Fine. I'll ascent to a duel, if they want one so bad…"

"It's decided, then," Myne announced triumphantly. She was about to continue, but before she could open her mouth, Shirou quickly piped up again.

"Before that, though," Shirou turned towards the Village Elder. "Would you mind drawing up a Magical Contract for us? To be signed by both the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero. Dictating that, if there is any outside interference in the duel in aid of either party, that both will forfeit the match and you will remain governor by default."

The Village Elder blinked, then smiled. "It would be my pleasure. A simple contract like that will only take a few minutes to draw up."

Naofumi hid a smile. Magical Contracts were exactly what they sounded like. A contract enforced by the magic woven into whatever fabric the contract was written on. Once signed, cheating it was virtually impossible. Shirou had likened it to a 'Self Geass Scroll' used by the Magi of his world, only it didn't have the requirement that both parties had to be capable of magic in order to be subject to the terms of a Magical Contract. By using a Magical Contract and the terms Shirou had proposed, they would be able to eliminate the risk of outside interference like last time.

"Hold up!" Motoyasu cut in. "What nonsense are you people talking about?"

"That's right!" Myne shouted. "Why would you require something bothersome like that?"

Shirou snorted. "I think that would be obvious. Do I really need to explain it," he said, then shook his head. "If you have confidence you can win without outside aid, then you would have no problem signing. Considering what happened last time, I think you'd at least be able to understand Naofumi being wary of agreeing to another duel. Some assurances of fair play are warranted. And like I said, if you are confident, there is no reason to hesitate."

Naofumi's smile turned vicious. "Unless, of course, you are afraid you can't beat me without outside help. So much for the vaunted Spear Hero, shaking in his boots at the thought of facing a shield!"

It was a taunt, a deliberate attempt to provoke them. Especially Motoyasu, who had final say on if he were to sign anything. So that they wouldn't realize the rather obvious flaw…

"Fine!" Motoyasu snapped, obviously angered by the taunt. "I'll sign your stupid contract and then I'll kick that bastard Naofumi's ass! I'll show you who should be afraid of who!"

Naofumi's devil may cry grin got even more vicious. What an utter fool…

* * *

As the Village Elder went off to create the Magical Contract, guarded by Alfyn, Zeph and several other able bodied men of the village at Naofumi's insistence, everyone else gathered in a large open field just outside the village gate. They were far away enough from the village so that they couldn't cause any accidental damage, but close enough that the villagers could spectate without being put at risk themselves.

Naofumi had very a brief conversation with Raphtalia, Shirou and Filo, giving some instructions. Then he started to prepare himself for the coming duel.

"Let's see," he mumbled. It hadn't taken long before he turned his attention to the Legendary Shield, pulling up his Menu and accessing certain information.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 6: +12% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike **

**[Status Enchantment] Lv 13: +39 Poison Damage**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 100**

Naofumi was reasonably confident he could win, but he still wanted to maximize his chances. After the last few days of cave exploration, his stock of Otherworld Zombie materials had been refilled and his backlog of [Soul Fragments] had grown again. He infused the Chimera Viper Shield with all the Otherworld Zombie materials there was to be found in his Item Box, and selected another thousand [Soul Fragments] to be added on top of that.

**[Otherworld Chimera Viper Shield (Awakened) A – Base Defence 90 – Equip Bonus: Change Shield / Compounding + 18 / Poison Resistance (large) (mastered)]**

**[Weapon Enchantment] Lv 10: +20% Damage-Reduction-From-Humanlike **

**[Status Enchantment] Lv 24: +72 Poison Damage**

**Special Ability: Snake Venom Fang (large) / Long Hook **

**[Weapon Proficiency]: 100**

With that, Naofumi released a small sigh. His shield had been further powered up, the Chimera Viper Shield was equipped, all his concoctions and potions were in order and he had taken the time to loosen his muscles. The only thing remaining now was to wait for the Village Elder to come back with the Magical Contract…

"Ah, speak of the devil," Naofumi muttered as the elderly man returned, accompanied by Alfyn, Zeph and another dozen men. A length of parchment waved slightly in the breeze.

Motoyasu and Naofumi both approached from their end of the field. For once, Motoyasu did not say anything or try and boast. He just gave the Shield Hero a heated glare, and signed the contract before stalking back to his side of the field.

Naofumi signed the contract as well after reading it and ensuring it said what Shirou had proposed. He was a little weirded out that Motoyasu hadn't taken the opportunity to flap his lips at him like the Spear Hero usually did. Was that a sign that the man was taking the duel seriously?

Considering the Spear Hero's less than stellar performance last time, Motoyasu would truly be a king of fools if he didn't think things through this time. Or pace himself accordingly. Considering that, the Shield Hero returned to his side of the field and turned to meet Motoyasu's determined stare. He set his stance, raised his shield and mentally prepared himself. One of Naofumi's hands dipped into his satchel.

"Well, then," the Village Elder said, and raised his hand. "The both of you already know the rules, so I won't bother repeating them. Begin!"

The hand was thrown down, the signal that the duel had commenced, but neither the Spear Hero nor the Shield Hero moved to attack. They just looked at each other like hawks, waiting for the other to make the first move and expose themselves.

Naofumi was the first to move, taking a step forward, then another, as he began walking forward. His hand pulled out and revealed a bottle filled with red powder from his satchel.

"Tch!" Motoyasu's face darkened and his eyes focused on one of Naofumi's hated concoctions. With caution born from experience, Motoyasu jumped back a bit, creating more distance again, apparently not wanting to get anywhere close to Naofumi.

The Shield Hero didn't seem bothered. He simply kept approaching with measured, sure steps.

"Second Spear!" Motoyasu held out his off hand and a second Legendary Spear manifested from the nothingness. Then he took up a throwing position, the spears taking on a different Weapon Form that clearly was meant for high attack power.

Naofumi simply continued to approach, not looking overly bothered. He merely raised his shield.

"Air Strike Javelin!" Motoyasu shouted, throwing both spears quickly one after the other. Said spears turned into energy and boomeranged towards Naofumi, retaking their physical forms the moment they were on target. Both spears were now heading towards the Shield Hero at bullet speeds, aiming to strike his chest on the right and left side respectively.

It was clearly an attempt to force Naofumi to deflect one, but not the other, or force the Shield Hero to halt is advance in order to dodge. But…

Naofumi merely crouched down and raised his shield, making his profile as small as possible. The Air Strike Javelins changed their trajectory to stay on target, hitting the Chimera Viper Shield and making it ring like a temple bell with the impact.

And in that ringing sound another sound rang out, barely audible even to Naofumi. Whatever tension he had been feeling just drained out of him at hearing that sound.

The Shield Hero surged to his feet, effortlessly deflecting both Air Strike Javelins. Smirking at the rictus of surprise on Motoyasu's face, Naofumi resumed his calm, measured advance, idly tossing the concoction in his hand up and down.

Motoyasu caught the Legendary Spear as it returned to him, its doppelganger having disappeared. He had to take a moment to ponder what had just happened. Thankfully, Naofumi's slow, measured approach gave him the time to do so.

He had equipped the Siderite Spear, a spear made from a meteorite and the most powerful Weapon Form in his arsenal. He had used [Weapon Enchantment], [Status Enchantment] and [Weapon Tempering] to exclusively raise its attack power to the detriment of anything else, to the point that equipping the Siderite Spear more than doubled his Attack Stat, but Naofumi still shrugged it off like it was nothing!

He had even used Second Spear and Air Strike Javelin to raise his attack power even further, and still it bounced off. He could believe that Chaos Thrust wouldn't do damage, as each individual thrust was weaker than when he just attacked normally, but this…

Even as he pondered, Naofumi had not halted his approach. Motoyasu would have vigorously denied feeling the sense of rising panic at the sight of the Shield Hero's approach, if anyone noticed.

"Motoyasu-sama! Don't falter! You have him right where you want him! Dead to rights even! Strike that Shield bastard down now!"

Myne shouted her ever present encouragement from behind him. She was quickly followed by the other girls in his party, cheering for him and denouncing Naofumi in the same breath.

Right! That's right! Naofumi was simply walking towards him like an idiot, or an overconfident fool. Leaving himself wide open. He had yet to use his most powerful Skills. If Second Spear and Air Strike Javelin weren't enough, he would just have to go a step beyond!

"Meteor Spear!" Motoyasu spun his spear, creating a disk of energy in front of him.

Naofumi just continued to approach.

Motoyasu thrust his spear through the disk of energy, which collected into a single point, launching forward in a condensed sphere of coruscating power. Naofumi had tanked this attack last time, but he had been forced to put up multiple barriers to soften the attack up first, and he'd still been injured. Not a lot, just a little bit, but if Meteor Spear struck dead on and with Naofumi so close…

"Air Strike Shield!"

Motuyasu cursed his opponent's quick reflexes. The ethereal shield had manifested between Meteor Spear and its target in the blink of an eye, impacting with a resounding gong. Like last time, their was a struggle between the Skills, but the Meteor Spear won out, even if it took a worrying long time…

The coruscating sphere surged ahead, directly to Naofumi, who hadn't halted his approach.

The Hero of the Shield, much to Motoyasu's horror, backhanded the Spear Hero's strongest Skill away with his Legendary Shield. Naofumi had simply used Air Strike Shield to soften Meteor Spear up a little and slow it down, then merely judged its trajectory and speed, then deflected it.

Said attack detonated over Naofumi's shoulder. It left a nice sized crater, but left the Shield Hero completely unharmed. And through it all, Naofumi still hadn't halted his approach, like a unbreakable wall slowly but surely advancing forward that would crush anything in its path.

How does one avoid being crushed by an unbreakable object? Simple, you either halt its advance or make sure you aren't in its path. Motoyasu decided to try both. The Spear Hero darted to the side, taking full advantage of his Speed Stat to make as much distance as possible, simultaneously spinning his spear, lightning surging up and down its blade's length.

Naofumi reacted instantly. He turned and rushed after Motoyasu, moving much faster than the Spear Hero would have figured. Shielders were usually slow as a rock, right? Still, even if the Speed Stat was the Spear Hero's highest natural attribute, Naofumi was still keeping pace with him.

"Lightning Spear!" Motoyasu turned on the balls of his feet, stabbing his spear in Naofumi's direction and releasing an arc of crackling electricity. Even Motoyasu thought that he sounded like he was begging the Shield Hero to stay away as he shouted the name of a Skill that would hopefully Paralyze Naofumi and stop him in his tracks.

Naofumi raised his shield in front of him and ran head long into the attack, electricity surging over his shield and being conducted directly into his body. And to Motoyasu's rising horror, he still he didn't halt his advance. Electricity danced over Naofumi's body, before dissipating, having done no harm and having failed to Paralyze the Shield Hero.

It was only natural. Naofumi's main form of attack was his concoctions that could inflict a plethora of Status Conditions, and he had long since fed those concoctions to his shield. The concoction that caused Paralysis had given him [Paralysis Resistance (medium)]. Naofumi had even taken the time to Awaken the shields that gave him resistance to various Debuffs. So he now had [Paralysis Resistance (large)]. Motoyasu's attempt to Paralyze him had been doomed to fail from the start.

Naofumi darted forward with a sudden burst in speed, getting in striking distance of the Spear Hero, who had been frozen in disbelieve.

"You cheati-" Motoyasy started to shout, instinctively lashing out with his Legendary Spear.

That was a mistake.

The Spear struck the Chimera Viper Shield, triggering its counterattack [Snake Venom Fang (large)]. The stylized extensions of the shield in the form of snakes animated, becoming real and lashing out with blinding suddenness.

Motoyasu let out a cry of pain as the snakes sank their fangs into his arm and pumped their deadly poison into his blood stream. "Argh!" the Spear Hero gritted his teeth as pain blossomed where he had been bitten. He yanked his arm free and jumped back, but that did not stop the poison that had already been pumped into his system from further spreading. The pain in his arm began to spread up and down the limb where he had been bitten, and it was excruciating, as if there was a corrosive acid in his veins.

The Spear Hero quickly accessed his Item Box, retrieving an Antidote and chugging it down as quickly as he could. But, it didn't provide him relief. The pain and damage of the poison did halt, and he could feel its spread stopping, but that was only for a moment. The pain flared up again after a moment, the normal quality Antidote having failed to cure him. The level of poison injected into his veins by [Snake Venom Fang (large)], further enhanced by [Status Enchantment], was simply too potent for a normal quality Antidote produced by his Legendary Spear to cure him.

The poison continued to spread through his system unopposed, like a virulent disease, a cancer, eating away at his insides. Motoyasu's skin had started to pale, and the flesh around the bite wound had started to display signs of necrosis, the poison _literally_ acting like acid.

And Motoyasu, his panic reaching a crescendo and distracting by the pain, only noticed that Naofumi had thrown the concoction he had been carrying in his other hand since the start of duel until its glass container had already shattered against his chest plate. The Spear Hero's eyes widened, and the red powder it had contained and had now enveloped him abruptly ignited.

Naofumi watched the fiery conflagration consume the Spear Hero, honestly starting to feel a little bit bad. With his sudden increase in Levels the last few days – even if Motoyasu was still had more than 15 Levels over him – all the Equipment Bonuses he'd stacked up, the knowledge he had used to strengthen his Legendary Shield, and Shirou's assurance that Motoyasu hadn't improved much since their last bout, he had been fairly confident he could win. But this was barely even a fight.

The Shield Hero could not strike back directly, but Motoyasu's attacks simply were not strong enough to break through his Defence Stat in return. Maybe if they struck his skin directly, but the combined use of his Legendary Weapon and his Skills made that a difficult proposition. Which was kind of the point of being the Shield Hero. But Naofumi could strike back indirectly, and with outside interference an impossibility because of Shirou's quick thinking, this match was as good as his.

That still did not stop him from throwing another concoction of his onto the literal dumpster fire that was the Spear Hero, one that introduced another helpful dose of poison into Motoyasu's system. Naofumi did feel a little bad, yes, but it was overshadowed by the feeling of vindictive pleasure as he finally got to lay into this buffoon, and feelings of pity for others, especially for others you have an intense dislike for, only got you so far in life.

The flames dissipated, and Naofumi got a flashback to their first duel after he had dumped all his concoctions onto the man. Haggard breathing, skin the same pallor of a corpse, burns covering said skin, only it was a magnitude worse than last time.

A potion manifested from the Legendary Spear. "I'm…not giving up," Motoyasu said through his haggard breathing, sluggishly reaching for the potion.

Naofumi never got to find out what the potion's intended use was. He strolled up to the Spear Hero, being close enough and Motoyasu moving slowly enough gave him the time to do so, and struck the ailing Motoyasu with his shield in the head. "Shield Bash."

The Spear Hero's muscles locked up, the Skill's stunning effect setting in. Motoyasu collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. The potion fell uselessly to the floor, shattering. A bare second later, fire once again erupted from Motoyasu, damaging him even more. Said damage was pilling up to the point that it would become lethal, if not treated soon. In spite of that, Motoyasu attempted to rise up to his feet the moment the fire dissipated, apparently determined to continue the fight.

Naofumi's foot planting itself on his chest stopped him cold. "I guess this means I've won," the Shield Hero said with not an inconsiderable amount of satisfaction.

"Fuck…you...," Motoyasu hissed, still attempting to rise, only to wheeze as Naofumi pressed down with his foot.

"Yeah, no thanks," Naofumi deadpanned. "By the rules of the duel I have won and you know it, and if you don't get treatment soon, you _will _die. You've lost. Deal with it."

The Shield Hero had looked up for a brief moment. The people of Riyute Village were elated, a happy murmur spreading through the crowd and a few cheers being released. Zeph looked relieved and Alfyn gave him a wide smile and a thumbs up. His party members also looked happy, with Filo almost dancing in her happiness, Raphtalia being all smiles and Shirou simply looking relieved.

In contrast, the soldiers that had accompanied the Spear Hero and his party looked to be in a state of disbelieve, not able to fathom the Shield Hero steamrolling the Hero of the Spear so. More then a few of them looked like they might make an issue of it, but they seemed to think better of it as the Shield Hero's gaze settled on them.

The same could be said for the state of the girls in the Spear Hero's party: disbelieve and anger. That Bitch looked especially venomous right now. Not able to help himself, even if he himself knew it was childish, Naofumi pulled down his eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her. The reddening of her face, the gritting of her teeth and veins of anger that popped out of her skin made it clear that his taunt struck home. Naofumi felt another surge of vindictive satisfaction.

_Clang!_

Naofumi looked back down, Motoyasu's attempt to strike at his ankle with his Legendary Spear dragging his attention back to the Spear Hero. "You really don't know when to give up," the Hero of the Shield grumbled. "Hey, Village Elder, would you mind declaring me the victor yet?"

Said Village Elder stepped forward, a smile playing on his lips, even if it was barely visible through the man's beard. "The duel is over, and the result is clear. The Shield Hero is the victor!"

With that declaration Naofumi removed his foot from Motoyasu's chest and stepped back. Motoyasu attempted to rise to his feet, but two somethings dropping to his chest stopped him.

It were two potions. "Here, a Burn Heal and one of the highest quality Antidotes I have been able to make," Naofumi said, then turned around and began to walk away.

"Do you…think…I'd accept…help from you!" Motoyasu shouted, then began to cough and hack.

"I don't care if you accept my help or not," Naofumi said drily, looking back over his shoulder. "I gave you those potions for purely selfish reasons. You may be a sanctimonious, self-righteous moron, someone who is being played without realizing it and all around pain in the ass, but you aren't evil. If I just let you die, I'd feel guilty, no matter how much you might deserve it. By giving you those potions, I have absolved myself of any responsibility if you die, so I'll have no need to feel guilty. Take that as you will."

With that, the Shield Hero continued, heading back to his party.

"Naofumi, I swear I will surpass you, and next time I'll crush you like the piece of trash you are!" the Spear Hero shouted a last, futile comeback at Naofumi's back, even as he, in spite of himself, reached for the potions he had been given.

A snort in return was all the answer he got.

"Good luck with that."

Unseen by anyone, even the ninja's that had been there earlier and had made themselves scarce the moment that duel had been declared, a person dressed from head to toe in black was hiding up in a tree a little ways away. They had observed the entire match, having recorded it with a record crystal. If someone had been able to see beneath their mask, they would have seen the hateful glare aimed at the Shield Hero's back.

From one blink to the next, they disappeared like a gust of air in the wind, never having been seen. Beneath the cloth of their ninja-like get-up, a pendant made up from a sword, spear and bow jangled, the only sign of that person's allegiance.

Some people would not be happy with this, not at all.

* * *

Later that day, as they were about to go to bed at the Inn and having finished their studying, Naofumi could be found going through his Item Box, checking out their loot of the last few days. There was a lot of materials that he could use for compounding. There was even a respectful number of pieces of silver mixed in, together with a few gems and ores. All in all, not a bad haul.

Then his eyebrows raised as he spied a drop with a rather odd name in the list. "The Laundry-Drying Pole?" he questioned the English translation of the name out loud, the item appearing from his shield and dropping into his lap.

It was a sword, sheath included. Said sheath was deep blue with golden accents, as was the hilt. It was long, but Naofumi did not appreciate how long until he withdrew the blade from its sheath, revealing a gleaming, slightly curved, single edged katana that was a meter and a half long.

It's Japanese name was the Monohoshi-zao, a name that was vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it. Naofumi appraised the blade with his Status Magic.

**[Monohoshi-zao – Base Attack 15 – Enchantments: none]**

Hmm, not particularly impressive, all things considered. The Magic Steel Swords Shirou and Raphtalia used had considerably more attack power and considering the length of the blade, using it effectively in battle would take a lot of practice.

Disappointed, Naofumi was about to put the blade away, until he heard a gasp. He looked up, and he did _not_ lock eyes with Shirou, since said demi-human was staring at the blade in his hands, wide-eyed and frozen.

"What?" Naofumi asked, blinking at Shirou's odd reaction.

Shirou hesitated for a short moment, before opening his mouth and explaining his reaction. Naofumi was sceptical of the explanation, but…

"Here, take it. I am sure you will be able to put it to good use," Naofumi said, handing the sword over to Shirou, who accepted it gratefully.

He nonetheless chose to entrust the blade, the Monohoshi-zao, to Shirou. Naofumi wasn't quite sure what if any good it would do, but he was sure it wouldn't do any harm either. The Shield Hero did not, and could not, have known it, but the mere sight of the Monohoshi-zao had, in that moment, set Shirou down the path of swordsmanship for real.


	12. Journey 1

**Sword and Shield**

**Journey 1**

Several coins clinked on the countertop. Several _gold _coins, 12 in total.

"Uh, not that I want to throw accusations around or anything, Shield Boy, but might I ask where you got all this money from?" the Old Man of the Weapon Shop asked, wide eyed. "I'm having a little trouble believing you managed to make so much money since the last time I saw you. You…didn't rob some noble, did you?"

"Who do you take me for? Of course not," Naofumi huffed.

"A man who has gotten a raw deal, and who has proven himself to be the definition of cutthroat when needed," the Old man said, deadpan. "I can think up a few scenarios in which you would resort to stealing without feeling an ounce of guilt."

Naofumi smirked. "I can't really deny that with a straight face, but no, I didn't steal this money. It was legitimately earned. Besides, Shirou and Raphtalia would stop me if I tried to pull a stunt like that, and then lecture me for several hours. The potential rewards are not worth the hassle."

"Damn straight I would stop you," Shirou grumbled. "And the fact that you did not even try and deny it makes me think you require that lecture anyway."

"That's right, Naofumi-sama. Hero's don't steal unless absolutely necessary," Raphtalia added in.

Naofumi chuckled. "But what falls under 'necessary' is subject to interpretation. I'm certain I would be able argue my case, considering our circumstances and the Waves and all that," he said, jabbing at his companions with his words.

The less than amused looks he got from Shirou and Raphtalia elicited another chuckle from him.

"Oh, oh! I'm sure Master wouldn't steal from people who didn't deserve it! He's too kind for that. He would only steal from rich and mean people!" Filo said, hopping in place.

"Naofumi is a lot of things," Shirou said drily. "And his outfit would fit the stereotype now that I think about it, but I wouldn't describe him as Robin Hood."

Raphtalia blinked as that elicited yet another chuckle from Naofumi. Who was Robin Hood?

"And who is this little miss?" the Old Man leaned over the counter, looking at Filo. "Please don't tell me you bought another slave and came here to brag…"

"I wasn't aware monsters could be considered slaves in this world," Naofumi said dryly.

The Old Man blinked, narrowing his eyes at Filo. "A monster?"

"Filo here is a Filolial that somehow attained the ability to take on a human form," Shirou cut in as he wanted to get to the point of their visit. "That's one of the reasons we came back here. Filo rips any clothes she's wearing whenever she turns back into a Filolial, so we were wondering if you might have any clothes that can transform with the wearer? We were told clothes like that are common for races that can take on another form."

"Clothes like that do exist," the Old Man said, scratching the back of his head. "But I don't deal in that kind of merchandise. You'd have to ask a dressmaker or maybe the owner of the Magic Shop. I'm sure that one of those people will be able to hook you up with what you need."

Naofumi sighed, annoyed. "I see. In any case, we would also like to buy some new gear."

"With the amount of money you have, you'd definitely be able to buy some high quality pieces," the Old Man said.

"And I'd also like to upgrade my Barbarian Armor," Naofumi added.

"Sure. Do you have the materials?"

Several pouches filled with monster parts were dropped onto the counter top, together with a couple bars of Mithril. "We kept an eye out for the materials you listed we'd need to upgrade the Barbarian Armor, and we bought what we couldn't find ourselves before coming here."

The Old Man checked everything over and nodded. "That's everything I need. Just leave your armor here when you leave and I'll get right on it. I'll have it finished in an hour or two. That will be 480 pieces of silver."

"A little less then 5 pieces of gold," Naofumi grumbled. "I want to keep 3 pieces of gold in order to buy Filo's transforming clothes, so that leaves a little over 4 gold coins worth for other gear," he said, mentally debating what the best course of action would be. He turned towards Shirou and Raphtalia. "Is there anything you two would want in particular?"

"I think just sticking to a higher quality set of armor and a new sword would be best for me, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia gave her opinion.

Shirou mulled it over briefly. "Better armor never hurts, but I'd much rather buy a higher quality bow and arrows over getting a better sword. I'm the only ranged attacker, so…"

"Hmm," the Old Man mused. "For four pieces of gold, and prioritizing like that…"

The Old Man began bustling around his shop, collecting equipment. Two new sets of armor, a silvery longsword, a composite bow and arrows tipped with steel were deposited on the counter top.

"Here, these pieces would be perfect for you," the Old Man gave a confident grin. "First, two sets of Mithril supplementary armor. They are basically the same as your current Iron supplementary armor, but with higher defence and being a bit lighter to boot."

They studied the pieces making up the two armor sets: Mithril Vambraces, Mithril Hip Guards and Mithril Greaves. They had the exact same design as the iron set, but the metal, instead of a dull grey, was a gleaming silver with blue highlights.

"Sounds good," Naofumi said, checking the armor's values with his Status Magic. "How much?"

"100 pieces of silver for both armor sets," the Old Man said, then indicated the gleaming longsword. "And this fine piece is a Mithril Longsword. A favored weapon for seasoned adventurers."

Raphtalia picked it up and did a few test swings. The blade was light in her grip, exceptionally so, but the sword felt solid and robust. "I like it."

"We'll take it, then. And the bow and arrows?"

"Steel Arrows and a Magic Willow Longbow. A step up in both categories, compared to what your lad currently has. This combination can hit hard and far," the Old Man boasted. "That will be 280 pieces of silver, all told."

That would be 380 pieces for everything together. In the end, they decided to go with the Old Man's recommendations. The Weapon Shop owner hadn't steered them wrong yet, and his recommendations were sensible. They also traded in their old armor and weapons, getting back 60 pieces of silver.

"Now that I think about it," the Old Man said after they'd finished the transaction. "Why not also buy a weapon for the little miss?" he said, pointing at Filo.

Filo blinked and pointed at herself with a clueless expression. "A weapon for Filo?"

"Hmm," the Old Man nodded. "If she fights as a Filolial, a pair of claws for on her feet would give her kicks some extra oomph to them."

"Sounds like a good idea," Naofumi agreed. "What's the best we can get for 80 pieces of silver?"

"I don't know. I don't deal in equipment for monsters," the Old Man admitted, chuckling sheepishly. "There's a shop down the road owned by an old acquittance of mine. I'm sure he will be able to hook you up with what you need."

"We'll check the place out," Naofumi nodded. "If that's everything, I'll just leave my armor here and we'll head out."

"I'll see you guys later, then."

* * *

"Magic Thread?" the Magic Shop Owner blinked her eyes.

"Yeah, the dressmaker said that we need Magic Thread if we want to make clothes that transform with the user. She said you could make some for us," Naofumi said.

"That's correct. But why would you need transforming clothes?" the Magic Shop Owner asked.

"Filo here," Naofumi patted Filo's head. "Is a monster that can take on a human form, but whenever she changes back, she always rips her clothes."

"Ah, I see," the Magic Shop Owner nodded. "But I do feel the need to correct a false assumption you seem to have. Transforming clothes aren't really clothes in the traditional sense."

More than a few eyebrows were raised at that sentence.

"Transforming clothes are made from Magical Thread that in turn is made out of the wearer's own magical energy," the Magic Shop Owner explained. "The process of making Magical Thread changes a little bit of the users magical energy and inscribes a mildly complex spell into it. Once the Magical Thread has been made and fashioned into the desired form, the wearer can then put the clothes on. The spell inscribed into the Magical Thread then forges a connection between the wearer and the clothes, which causes said spell and the transforming clothes to become a part of the wearer. The spell and the clothes are literally inscribed on the wearer's own Magic Circuits."

"I'm not sure I follow," Naofumi admitted.

"In simple terms," the Magic Shop Owner continued. "The transforming clothes are themselves a spell that is acquired by putting said clothes on. Once 'learned' the wearer can simply will the clothes into existence when required."

Ah, now he understood. When Filo wasn't human, the transforming clothes would be magical energy that dwelled inside her body. When she assumed human form, she could materialize the clothes when needed. Transforming clothes were really more a spell themselves than actual clothes.

"That makes sense," Naofumi nodded. "Then, shall we make some Magic Thread?"

"I would like to so yes, but…" the Magic Shop Owner sighed, then pointed to a contraption that looked like a spinning wheel. "This device is used to turn magical energy into Magic Thread, but the jewel that extracts a person's magical energy, inscribes the spell on it and transforms it into thread broke recently. Without that, I can't make any Magic Thread for you."

Naofumi let out an annoyed sigh. "Of course it's like that," he grumbled. "And let me guess, said gem is expensive and hard to find."

"That's exactly it," the Magic Shop Owner nodded. "If it had been easy to replace, I would have done it already."

"What is this gem called, then?" Raphtalia asked. "If we know what it's called, we could maybe find it on our travels and keep an eye out for it."

"It's called a Sodalite Gem," the Magic Shop Owner asked.

Shirou slowly raised his hand. "Didn't we find one of those in the caves we discovered close to Riyute Village? Second to last day, I think."

Naofumi accessed his Item Box and took out the gem in question. It was a large round gemstone that was a deep blue and streaked with white veins. "Is this it?"

The Magic Shop Owner blinked, then smiled widely. "Yes, that's the gemstone in question. It must be my lucky day. I'd thought it would take me at least several more weeks before tracking one down."

"We will sell it to you at a reduced price if you make the Magic Thread for free," Naofumi began the haggling immediately.

"Gladly. I could also check out little miss Filo's Element and Origin if you'd like? We can then include a couple of grimoires into the deal…"

Naofumi frowned in thought. "I'm not sure if that's needed. The Monster Breeder back in Riyute Village said that Filolial Queens like Filo instinctively know how to perform magic. Is traditional study of magic even needed for Filo?"

"Instinctive knowledge of magic," the Magic Shop Owner mused. "The few species off monsters that have that trait learn magic as they grow stronger. Monsters like that have a kind of genetic memory concerning magic. The higher Level they become the more spells they learn and the more well versed they become with magic. Monsters like that a vanishingly rare…are you sure little miss Filo here truly possesses such a trait?"

"I'm not sure. From what I'm told, there isn't much known on Filolial Queens and their abilities," Naofumi hesitated.

"Ah, does Master want to see Filo perform magic? I'd be happy to!" Filo singsonged happily as she raised and cupped her hands together. "Faust Wind Sphere!" A sphere of swirling wind manifested in Filo's hands, a sudden breeze picking up and rustling the pages of the many books in the shop.

"…That answers that question, I guess," Shirou said, a little wide eyed.

The Magic Shop Owner was equally wide-eyed. "Yes, it does. Moreover, the spell she just used has excellent piercing qualities, one that I would rather not see used inside my shop. Little miss Filo, could you, uhm, dismiss your spell?"

"Aww, do I have to?" Filo whined, throwing the Wind Sphere from hand to hand, playing with it as if it was an ordinary ball.

Naofumi lightly chopped Filo on the back of the head. "Filo, please don't go around making trouble for other people. She asked you nicely, so you have no reason to refuse."

Filo continued to sulk. Moreover, she hadn't yet dismissed her spell.

"Filo, if you don't dismiss that spell this instant, I won't cook for you anymore."

Filo's eyes widened in abject horror. "No, Master! Anything but that! I'll be a good girl, I promise!" she shouted, the Wind Sphere disappearing from one blink to the next.

Naofumi smirked inwardly. Filo was headstrong and wilful, but he'd found the perfect way to control Filo: through her stomach. She was the very definition of a glutton, and he felt no remorse exploiting that fact to his own benefit.

Shirou barely held back a laugh.

* * *

The Old Man of the Weapon Shop looked up as the door to his establishment opened. "Ah, Shield Boy and kids! You're back. Good timing. I've just finished up upgrading the Barbarian Arm…" the Old Man trailed off, eyes glued to small a figure that filed inside behind Naofumi.

It was Filo, but now she was wearing her new set of transforming clothes: a white dress with plenty of blue ribbons and frills. The dressmaker had likened Filo to an angel, so she had gone the extra mile to create a dress to underscore her angel like appearance, and it appeared she had succeeded.

Filo noticed the Old Man's stare and did a little twirl to show off her new dress. "How do I look, Nice Old Guy?"

"Very good," the Old Man answered honestly.

"Old Man, are you sure you aren't a lolicon?" Naofumi deadpanned.

The Old Man developed a tick mark on his brow. "That's the second time you have asked that, and you are the last guy I want to hear that from. Your entire party is made out of children…No offence," that last bit was directed at Shirou and Raphtalia.

"None taken," Shirou said.

"Humph," Raphtalia huffed, crossed her arms and looked away with a pout.

Naofumi snorted. "So, you were saying that you've finished upgrading my armor? It better be a major step up. Those dragon materials we had to buy for the upgrade were expensive… and that is not even mentioning that the Chimera materials we threw in are difficult to come by."

"Oh, I'll think you will be surprised. Let me get it for you."

The Old Man briefly disappeared into the back of his shop, before returning with the armor. He laid the Barbarian Armor pieces on the countertop, and Naofumi used his Status Magic to appraise it.

**Barbarian Armor +1: Base Defence: 85 / Attack endurance (medium) / Fire resistance (strong) / Shadow resistance (strong) / Air Wake (strong) / HP restore (small) / Magic up (medium) / Magic Defence processing / Automatic recovery function.**

Visually, the Barbarian Armor had changed little. The denim-like fabric that formed the under layer of the armor had been replaced with dragon skin, something that looked like glossy black rubber, and the metal pieces, chest plate included, now had a silvery sheen with blue highlights instead of the previous dull grey. This was thanks to the fact that those armor pieces were now made out of Mithril instead of plain iron. On the whole, though, the Barbarian Armor retained its previous aesthetics and look.

In short, the Barbarian Armor looked basically the same as it did before, but its Base Defence was now more then double what it what once was and it came with a buttload of resistances and extra features. The automatic recovery function was self-explanatory: the armor would fix itself if it were to be damaged, a highly useful feature.

Still, Naofumi found himself a little dissatisfied. "You are really sticking with this outlaw vibe, aren't you?"

"If the shoe fits," the Old Man gave a shrug, as if saying 'what can you do?'

That earned him a stink eye from Naofumi.

Shirou none to gently slapped the Shield Hero on the back. "Stop pouting and go put the armor on. It is a good set of equipment, so don't bother pretending you aren't going to make use of it."

"I'm not pouting," Naofumi grumbled. Nonetheless, he gathered the armor pieces and retreated to a changing booth to don the Barbarian Armor. He emerged a moment later, looking even grumpier then usual.

"Looks good on you, Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia, as always, was enthusiastic.

"Like the Old Man said, it fits your vibe," Shirou added with a shrug.

"Yeah, yeah! It suits you, Master!" Filo finished with an enthusiastic hop and bob of her head.

If anything, that made Naofumi look even grumpier then before. With a longsuffering sigh, the Shield Hero let go of his misgivings and turned to the Old Man. "Thanks for the new armor, Old Man."

"Don't mention it. I'm sure it will serve you well," the Old Man gave him a thumbs up.

"Yeah," Naofumi chuckled. "With all that you've done for me, it almost makes me feel guilty for what I am about to do next. Almost."

The Old Man blinked. "Eh?"

Naofumi's hand reached out and came to rest on a nearby shield. The shield in question was alone on a raised pedestal, propped up on a stand in plain view of the display window, obviously meant to draw the eye of any would be costumer and entice them into entering the shop.

**Weapon Copy – Complete [Sederite Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 40 – Equip Bonus: Meteor Shield (unmastered)]**

**[Meteor Shield – A defensive barrier made out of light encloses the Hero. Only the Hero himself, his party members and their attacks can freely pass through the barrier. Meteor Shield's Defence = Hero's Defence/5]**

The copy successful, the Legendary Shield took on the form of the Sederite Shield.

"…What?" was the only word that slipped past the Old Man's lips.

Naofumi smiled widely, which freaked the Old Man out a bit, as Naofumi smiling was an oxymoron to him. "Ah, did I forget to tell you? I recently learned that the Legendary Weapons can copy other weapons so long as they are of the same type. And well, since we're here and you have a whole shop full of useful shields…" he trailed off, already reaching out for another shield.

"Wait, that's not- HEY, I SAID WAIT A MOMENT DAMMIT!" the Old Man shouted as Naofumi copied a Steel Shield, not giving heed to the Old Man's protests.

"Consider this your punishment for making me look like a common bandit, Old Man!" Naofumi countered as he reached out to touch and copy every shield in reach. Soon, the Old Man was chasing the maliciously cackling Shield Hero around his shop, trying but unable to stop him.

"Uh," Raphtalia blinked at the scene playing out before them. "Should we…do something?"

"It's alright," Shirou said, even as he averted his eyes from the spectacle in embarrassment. "It's not like we're stealing anything or that we would have bought any of these shields if Naofumi didn't have the ability to copy them. Just let them have their fun and stay out of it."

Raphtalia was unsure, but heeded Shirou's advice and stayed put. A short while later, a disgruntled looking Weapon Shop owner was back behind his counter, slumped and clearly exhausted. Naofumi, on the other hand, looked satisfied and refreshed, idly going through his Menu.

"Thanks, Old Man," Naofumi grinned. "That's another 60 shields added to my collection."

"Yeah, yeah. Just laugh it up," the Old Man grumbled. He then let out a sigh and straightened up, the exhaustion just seeming to seep out of him. "I guess this concludes our business for today. What will you guys be doing now?"

"I'm not sure," Naofumi said, closing his Menu. "We hadn't made any plans yet…"

"I say we go to Zeltoble."

More then a few eyebrows shot up. All the eyes in the room swivelled to the person who had made the sudden suggestion: Shirou.

"Hoh," the Old Man let out a hum of thought. "Zeltoble, huh? That might not be a bad idea."

"What brought this idea on, Shirou?" Naofumi crossed his arms.

"Thanks to my…insight into the Legendary Weapons, I know that both the Spear Hero and the Sword Hero have visited Zeltoble at different points in the last month," Shirou began to explain.

"Probably because of their game knowledge," Naofumi mused. "So there must be something pretty useful in Zeltoble if both Motoyasu and Ren went there. So, what is it?"

"Equipment and money," was Shirou's frank answer. "There are dozens of shops in Zeltoble with high level gear. Both the Spear Hero and the Sword Hero got their most powerful Weapon Forms and Skills in Zeltoble. Moreover, both of them participated in tournament style matches in the colosseum in order to win large amounts of money."

"Ah," Raphtalia made a noise of understanding.

"Equipment and money, huh?" Naofumi rubbed his chin. "How long would the journey take to get to Zeltoble?"

"By foot it would take well over a month," the Old Man cut in.

"And by carriage?" Shirou asked. "The people of Riyute Village gave us one after we helped them a bunch of times. And Filo is a very fast runner, so…"

"Hmm, hmm," Filo nodded her head in agreement.

"By carriage it would usually take a little over two weeks," the Old Man answered.

Shirou nodded. "And, I also wanted to ask, is there an Hourglass of the Dragon's Era in Zeltoble?"

"Of course," the Old Man nodded. "You would be hard pressed to find a country that didn't have one."

"Why is that important?" Raphtalia asked.

"Because it's related to the most useful Skill that both the Spear Hero and Sword Hero have," Shirou said. "Teleportation."

Naofumi's eyes bugged out. "Seriously?"

"Yeah it is," Shirou answered affirmatively. "Apparently, the weapon Series that grants access to that Skill is unlocked with the sand inside of the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era."

"But, if that's true, we can just visit the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era in this country," Naofumi said.

"Naofumi, I think you are forgetting the fact that the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era in this country is controlled by the Church of the Three Heroes," Shirou countered. "Do you really think they'd agree to hand over a bit of that sand if you asked nicely?"

The Shield Hero's sudden sour expression answered that question. "Yeah, you're right. Those bastards would sooner set me on fire then help me," Naofumi sighed. "Maybe we could steal some."

"Too risky," Shirou dismissed that option immediately.

"He's right, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia jumped in. "As the Hourglass of the Dragon's Era is of vital importance, both for the country and the Church of the Three Heroes, there must at least be several layers of protections on it. If they caught us in the act of trying to steal a bit of that sand…"

"They might us that as an excuse to get rid of us permanently," Shirou finished.

"Okay, okay. I get the point. Sheesh," Naofumi raised his hands in surrender.

The Old Man seemed thoughtful, looking at them with his Status Magic. "Not only that, but you guys are nearing the Level where you will need a Class Up if you want to progress further. If the Church of the Three Heroes probably won't allow you to Class Up, going to another country would be best."

"Class Up?" Naofumi blinked.

"Shield Boy, you really should take the time to learn a bit more about this world when you have the chance," the Old Man sighed, deadpan. "There's a Level cap of 40. Once you hit that Level you won't be able to Level Up anymore, unless you perform a Class Up. And a Class Up can only be done with the use of an Hourglass of the Dragon's Era."

"I see," Naofumi nodded, deep in thought. "Money, equipment, the teleportation Skill and getting a Class Up. It seems we have plenty of reason to go to Zeltoble," he mused. "What do you guys think?"

"I think it's a good idea, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia chipped in.

"You know what I think," Shirou said with a shrug.

"I can't wait to pull the carriage," Filo added joyfully.

Naofumi gave a decisive nod. "It's settled, then. We will go to Zeltoble," he said, then let out a breath. "It's about time we left this rotten country behind anyway."

"Normally, I would rebuke you for speaking less than kindly about my home, but I honestly can't fault you," the Old Man said drily. "Instead, I'll just wish you success out there."

Naofumi shook hands with the Old Man. "I may be done with this country, but once I have that teleportation Skill, I'll make sure we come visit every once in a while. I have a sneaking suspicion that the shops in Zeltoble still won't quite be able to match yours."

"Heh," the Old Man smiled. "Thanks, Shield Boy. I'll endeavour to not let you down."

* * *

Filo, in her Filolial Queen form, was humming a song to herself as she pulled their carriage along the dirt path towards Zeltoble. Naofumi was in the driver's seat, reigns in his hands. Inside the carriage, Raphtalia and Shirou were busy studying, trying to learn magic and practicing reading. They were progressing, with one having more success than the other.

"Urp," Raphtalia covered her mouth with her hand, looking a little green in the face. She had already thrown up twice before from motion sickness caused by the bumpy ride. The dirt path they were traveling was anything but comfortable, especially with the speed Filo was traveling at, making them constantly jostle around inside the carriage.

This made studying more difficult, and slowed them down as they had to periodically stop and give Raphtalia a chance to recover. Still, there was nothing for it but continue. Hopefully, Raphtalia would acclimatize soon and stop being motion sick.

Shirou gave Raphtalia a concerned look, but seeing that she wasn't about to throw up, he turned his attention back to the book he had been reading.

They were still learning the basic fundamentals of learning magic. Concepts like Equal Exchange, how to feed magical energy into a spell and the art of self-hypnosis. Shirou already had a firm grounding in these concepts because of his father's previous education, lacking as it was, but going over these concepts again with a fine-tooth comb couldn't hurt. It would suck if he developed another bad habit because he didn't take the time to study everything in depth.

With the basic operation of his Circuits mastered, once he had developed a firm understanding of the fundamentals of magic, he could start learning the Magic Alphabet. And once he had finished all that, he could start learning magic proper.

Shirou had already decided what he would be focusing on when the time came: Applied Sword Magic, as this would be most immediately useful in battle. Applied Sword Magic was an odd branch of magic that were more like techniques that incorporated magical energy in their execution. Flying slashes and extending the reach of the blade. Things like that. Of course, because of how a person learns magic through a grimoire, these techniques can and will very widely between users, even to the point that 'spells' learned from the same line of text would look and act completely different.

Besides that, he'd also continue to practice his Projection and Reinforcement magic. Now that he knew the proper way to access his magical energy and feed it into a spell, said spells had become much easier to perform. For Reinforcement magic, a spell that was easy in theory and difficult in execution, continued practice would be key. For Projection he would have to continue to experiment, but he'd also start to learn from the grimoire concerning Material Transmutation as soon as possible, as some of the material contained in that grimoire might be useful for his experiments with Projection.

Even as he thought this, his hand closed around the hilt of the Monohoshi-zao, which was sheathed beside his Magic Steel Sword. The motion was a reverent one. When he first laid eyes on the blade, he couldn't believe the information streaming into his mind. He still had trouble believing it. Somehow, someway, a blade that was from his own world, or at least a version of it, had found itself in the list of drop items Naofumi had collected.

Unlike what people who knew a little about Japanese history would suspect, the Monohoshi-zao he was currently carrying with him wasn't the blade of the famous Sasaki Kojirou, the rival of Miyamoto Musashi. This blade just happened to share a name with its famous counterpart recorded in history.

But that was a minor detail. The how, why and what were inconsequential. It was what the Monohoshi-zao represented, what it carried inside of it, that truly mattered: incomparable, god-like skill.

The owner of this blade had been ordinary farmer who grew up alone in the mountains. The man in question had lived alone virtually his whole life, the only contact of note he had with other people being an old master swordsman who taught him the basics of swordsmanship before dying a month after their first meeting of old age. Having nothing better to do besides farming, the man had thrown himself into mastering the blade after the death of his teacher, all the time not spend farming and taking care of his bodily needs being dedicated to swordsmanship and honing a single skill.

Eventually, the man had wanted to be able to cut down a swallow in mid-flight. This would normally be impossible to do for an ordinary human. Swallows are ridiculously fast birds that could move either in a horizontal or vertical fashion in an instant. A slash from a sword is always a straight line. Such an attack would never be able to hit a swallow mid-flight. Then, logically, the only way to hit a swallow mid-flight would be multiple slashes. One slash as a first attack, a second slash to cut the swallow down and a third vertical slash to stop the swallow from escaping upwards.

The only problem was that the speed required to hit the swallow with multiple slashes was beyond human. The slashes wouldn't have to be just _fast, _but they would have to occur at virtually the exact same time. It was flat out impossible, even with enhanced speed and strength.

But the man had nothing better to do. So he kept at it, practicing swordsmanship and trying to learn the impossible skill of hitting a swallow mid-flight. And, eventually, after decades of trying to learn that singular impossible skill, he had succeeded. Somehow, his swordsmanship had grown so refined that, even without the capability of magic or even the knowledge of its existence, the man could flat out break reality with pure skill.

When the man swung his blade, through his swordsmanship alone, three slashes would slice the air even if he only seemed to swing once. His godlike skill somehow allowed him to transcend space and time, the slash reflected through dimensions to become three simultaneous cuts.

Somehow, someway, through a method that Shirou would never be able to explain, the man had achieved the impossible. And for someone who, at some level, understood that he was chasing after an impossible dream, he couldn't help but be inspired by someone who had similarly strived for, and achieved, the impossible.

That's why he had decided to make the man's skill with the blade his own. Even if he didn't take into account the sheer grace of what the man had attained in his swordsmanship after decades of practice, what the accumulated skill of the man represented was simply too beautiful for him to ignore. Too beautiful and too potentially useful to leave unused. He would make that skill that made the impossible possible his own, and use it to pursue his own impossible dream.

It was all there, in his head. How the man had practiced day in day out and how he had achieved his impossible level of skill. With that knowledge, it should be possible to dissociate the skill of the man from the Monohoshi-zao and make it his own. It would more than likely than not take decades, and maybe he would never succeed, but even a minor improvement in his swordsmanship would be beneficial. Right now, Shirou swung his sword like a caveman: with more than enough strength and speed to sever flesh, perhaps, but utterly lacking in skill and grace.

In that regard, the knowledge and history contained in the Monohoshi-zao was the best teacher he could have ever asked for.

He'd already resolved to practice every night before going to sleep, and get up two hours earlier than normal each day to practice swordsmanship. Combined with the time spent learning how to read fluently, his studies into Magecraft and everything they had to do in order to prepare for the Wave of Calamity, he would have to cut into the time usually used for sleeping if he wanted to make decent progress on all fronts.

Shirou was used to functioning on very little sleep, but even he knew he was pushing it with such full and unpredictable a schedule, but he was determined to increase his abilities on all fronts as much as he could before the next Wave. How many people he could save was, after all, reliant on his own capabilities. He would have to push himself to the edge to maximize his abilities, but also know when to step back, so that he didn't fall over said edge. He would be good to nobody dead.

He just had to trust himself to know where his limits were, and act accordingly.

* * *

"Watch out, Naofumi-sama!"

Even though the warning wasn't necessary, Naofumi still appreciated Raphtalia's gesture as the large ant-like monster's claw bounced off his shield. It's attacks weren't effective against him, so he did not have to worry about fighting the monster, but Naofumi was loath to let his guard down.

The ant-like monster, called a Green Fire Worker Ant and about the size of a large dog, clicked its mandibles in annoyance as its attacked bounced off harmlessly.

Naofumi grabbed hold of one of said mandibles and halted the monster in place. Filo took the chance to quickly jump in and crush the bug with a well-aimed kick to its midsection.

"That's the last of them," Shirou said, lowering his bow. All around them, over three dozen slain Green Fire Worker Ants laid still on the ground. The monsters all looked basically the same, but they varied in size from cat-sized to lion-sized.

Ever since setting out from Castle Town, a little less then a week ago, they had fallen into a routine. They would get up early in the morning and immediately set out as soon as they were able. They would take turns driving the carriage to give everyone the chance to continue to study magic and, in Naofumi's case, practice and learn more about potion making. Shirou had also begun practicing swordsmanship with the aid of the knowledge and experience contained in the Monohoshi-zao before they set out each morning and when they stopped traveling in the evening, dedicating several hours each day to it.

Raphtalia had joined his morning and evening practice sessions almost immediately after he'd begun, though Shirou couldn't say he'd been surprised by that. He did his best to impart on Raphtalia what he had learned from the Monohoshi-zao and they often sparred with each other, honing their skill in the use of blades together, day in day out.

But they would stop once every day at around midday. Constantly studying and traveling would wear on them and probably work counter-productively, so they would hunt monsters for an hour or two each day. This way they could blow off some steam and continue raising their Levels. And as they were constantly traveling, each location had wildly differing monsters, which translated into many and varied Weapon Forms and Equip Bonuses for Naofumi to Master.

"Good job, Filo," Naofumi praised.

"Thanks, Master!" Filo cried energetically in her Filolial Queen form. "I really like this gift you bought me. It makes fighting monsters even easier."

Filo kicked her feet as if she was kickboxing. Said feet were adorned by Steel Claws. On the Old Man's suggestion, they had bought the weapon off of one of his acquaintances. It was a fairly mundane piece of equipment, as by the time they had gone to buy it they had already spend most of their cash on other things, but it still raised Filo's offensive ability by a good margin.

"I'm glad you like them," Naofumi said honestly. "Let's gather all the corpses."

They did just that and the Shield Hero absorbed them whole into his shield. He fiddled with his Menu and instructed the Legendary Shield to break the monsters up into pieces and absorb each piece one at a time. The fact that they longer had to do that manually was a boon and a half. The time they saved was substantial, and it meant they no longer had to do the rather unpleasant task themselves.

**Requirement met: [Green Fire Worker Ant Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 8 – Equip Bonus: Defence +4 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Green Fire Worker Ant Claw Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 3 – Equip Bonus: Attack +2 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Green Fire Worker Ant Meat Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 5 – Equip Bonus: Cooking +2 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Green Fire Worker Ant Plate Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 10 – Equip Bonus: Defence +7 (mastered)]**

**Requirement met: [Green Fire Worker Ant Pincer Shield Unlocked – Base Defence: 4 – Equip Bonus: Agility +5 (mastered)]**

"Good, that's done," Naofumi said. "Let's continue. Where to?"

"I'd imagine they might have a nest somewhere around here like regular ants," Shirou mused. "That would be a good hunting ground, if we can find it."

Filo sniffed the air, doing a passable impression of a hunting hound. "This way," she pointed with her wing to the north. "I can smell that the bugs came from this direction."

They followed after Filo, trusting her to guide them to their next quarry. They'd ended up in a forest which was, in a word, crawling with Green Fire Worker Ants. Every few paces they would run into one or a group of the buggers. More often then not, Naofumi had to react quickly or make use of his Skills in order to defend himself and his party from a sudden attack launched from behind a tree or a bush, or an assault from the air as the ants dropped from the canopy.

Still, after the first attack by the ants had been weathered, the danger had effectively passed. The unusually large green ants weren't particularly fast, their attack was average, and while their defence was above average thanks to their chitinous armor, Filo's, Raphtalia's, and Shirou's attack power was high enough that a good hit or two would kill the monsters, or at least render them unable to fight.

"Master, over here," Filo beckoned them over, and they settled behind some bushes.

They cautiously peered through the shrubbery. On the other side was large open clearing, ringed by trees. A large hill, free of grass or any green dominated the clearing. Said hill was decorated with over a dozen holes. A large horde of monstrous ants were streaming out of those holes and assembling in the clearing.

These ants appeared a little different compared to the ants they had been fighting until now, though. A quick look with their Status Magic answered the unasked question.

**[Green Fire Soldier Ant Lv: 16]**

"Soldier ants," Raphtalia mused. "They must have gotten warning that we were approaching and are gathering here to protect their nest."

"What do we do?" Shirou asked. "There's a whole lot of them, and in such an open field, they'd have the advantage. They could gang up on us twelve to one. A fight in the forest would not be particularly better either. They are more at home there then we are."

"…I've got an idea," Naofumi said, hand dipping into his satchel. "Here's what we'll do."

The Shield Hero handed out multiple items to his party and briefly discussed his plan. After that, they quickly split up, using the surrounding greenery to move about unseen. The only one to stay put was Naofumi, who simply counted down the second. After he had finished counting, he stepped out from the shrubbery.

And immediately became the focus of a small army of Green Fire Soldier Ants.

Immediately, one of the lead soldier ants screeched and led the charge towards the stationary Shield Hero.

Naofumi raised his shield. "Meteor Shield."

A barrier of light extended from the Shield Hero in every direction, enclosing him a protective sphere that covered 5 meters in al directions. But he wasn't done yet.

"Air Strike Shield. Shield Prison."

An ethereal shield manifested outside the barrier of light, a sphere of shields tied down by chains following a moment later. Both were outside the Meteor Shield, one on the right and one on the left. These obstacles restricted the soldier ants area of approach and restricted the surface area of the Meteor Shield they could attack, funnelling them directly towards Naofumi instead of spreading out and attacking the Shield Hero from all directions.

The tide of the soldier ants slammed into the Meteor Shield, some of them crawling over each other in an effort to reach their target. They slammed their heads against the barrier in a wild frenzy, struck it with their claws, bit at it with their mandibles, trying to tear down the barrier as quick as possible. And they were doing significant damage. Unfortunately for them, they just weren't fast enough.

Shirou, Raphtalia and Filo erupted from the treeline in three different directions. With quick, looping strides they closed the distance, all three of them clutching something spherical. Some of the soldier ants noticed their approach, but by then it was too late.

Knowing what was about to happen, Naofumi quickly pulled out one of his concoctions and threw it on the ground in front of him. A wall of thick ice erupted into existence, a physical shield for what was about to happen.

"Now!" Shirou shouted and threw whatever it was he was carrying.

Filo and Raphtalia copied his actions. Three spherical Incendiary Bombs, an special kind of concoction that Naofumi had made, arched in the air and disappeared into the mass of writhing soldier ants. Three consecutive explosions of force, heat and fire detonated inside of the ranks of the soldier ants, the sheer explosive force blowing off limbs and sent the shattered remains of the soldier ants flying through the air. Those that didn't get sent flying were cooked inside their chitinous armor, their flesh rupturing as their internal juices boiled and swelled grotesquely.

The Meteor Shield shattered instantly. The Air Strike Shield and the Shield Prison had focused the explosions from the Incendiary Bombs inward and towards the wall of the Meteor Shield, but the ice barrier shielded Naofumi from the heat and concussive force.

Ice, after all, was much harder to break then most people gave it credit for.

Naofumi would have used the Incendiary Bombs himself, but the explosive force of such contraptions was depended on the Stats of the user. The higher one's Attack Stat, the more explosive force a bomb could produce and the more damage it did. If Naofumi himself used the Incendiary Bombs he'd barely be able to produce a firecracker worth's of explosive force. Again, this world's asinine rules made a solution that could have made one of Naofumi's problems moot unusable.

On the other hand, Shirou, Raphtalia, and Filo had very high attack power. In their hands, the bombs were deadly weapons.

Once the fire and smoke of the explosions disappeared, a mess of blown off body parts, blood and scorched earth was revealed. They didn't give themselves the chance to feel queasy at the sight, they still had the nest, and whatever still dwelled inside of it, to deal with.

Luckily, they had a plan for that as well.

They rushed for the nest next, after a quick rendezvous with Naofumi who quickly handed out more of his contraptions and concoctions. They rushed towards the nest and threw these contraptions and concoctions into each and every hole before reinforcement could emerge, and quickly made distance again.

And what exactly did they throw into the ant's nest? The first object was a poison mist concoction, one that was made from a choice mixture of herbs, bushes and mushrooms that were fairly common in the wild. The separate parts weren't all that dangerous on their own, but together they made a deadly concoction.

And the second object? That was another Incendiary Bomb, meant to light the underground tunnels ablaze and collapse them, trapping the ants inside with the poison gas. It would be a fatal one two punch that would hopefully destroy the entire colony in one fell swoop.

Both these objects were hurled down every hole leading inside the nest, and moments later several loud thumping sounds were heard and the ground underneath their feet trembled a little. For a brief moment nothing happened, then in the corner of their vision numbers started appearing, their Status Magic showing them their EXP gains. These numbers appeared rapid fire, one after the other, a mass amount of EXP being gained as underneath their feet the Green Fire Ants died en masse, stuck as they were inside of their nest with collapsed tunnels, fire and poison gas.

"It's working, Master!" Filo said joyfully. "We're gaining a lot of EXP! I think I'm about to Level Up!"

"Good plan, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia added, relaxing a little.

"Guys," Shirou jumped in, a weary edge to his voice as the ground underneath their feet started to tremble more and more. "I don't think we're quite done yet."

The nest of the Green Fire Ants started to shake, bits of dirt falling and sliding of from the bare anthill. Then the top all but exploded, and a massive green ant appeared. It looked the same as the ants they had been fighting so far, but it was much bigger, almost the size of a house, and while it's head an torso appeared fairly normal, its hindquarters were relatively much bigger compared to the rest of its body. The chitinous armor plating covering its body also appeared much thicker, covering even more of its body than it had on the soldier ants.

**[Green Fire Queen Ant Lv: 30]**

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," Naofumi hissed to himself. "Everyone, come back here! Meteor Shield!"

Everyone quickly ran back to the Shield Hero, taking shelter underneath the barrier of light that had been deployed.

And not a moment to soon. The Green Fire Queen Ant manifested insectoid wings and took flight, releasing a screech that caused an ache in their bones. The Boss Monster opened its mouth wide and showed why it and its kin were called Green Fire Ants as it spat a pillar of green fire at them.

The Meteor Shield tanked the attack head on admirably, even as the air inside started to heat up. The green fire dissipated after a long minute, having done no harm, but seeing that it's ranged attack had failed, the Green Fire Queen Ant decided to charge at them.

"Air Strike Shield!"

The Green Fire Queen Ant struck the ethereal shield head on with a resounding gong, but the barrier held, even as cracks webbed throughout.

Shirou ran to the side, remaining under the Meteor Shield, but allowing him to shoot around the Air Strike Shield. He pulled back the bowstring, notched an arrow and fired into the Boss Monster's side. The Steel Arrow, shot by the Magic Willow Longbow, was a powerful weapon. It punched through the chitinous armor of the Green Fire Queen Ant with relative ease, sliding in deep and releasing a spray of vicious looking blood.

The Green Fire Queen Ant shrieked and flapped its wings, climbing high into the air in an effort to get outside of Shirou's firing range.

"Filo!" Raphtalia shouted.

"Get on, Onee-chan!" Filo crouched down and allowed the demi-human to mount her.

Raphtalia drew her Mithril Longsword. "Let's go!"

Filo immediately took off running, strafing to the side, leaping into a tree before jumping once again to gain even greater height. "Master, give me a foothold!"

"Shield Prison!" Seeing as the cooldown for Air Strike Shield hadn't run its course quite yet, Naofumi defaulted towards Shield Prison.

Said prison of shields manifested in mid-air. Filo landed on it and promptly leaped again, and with a few flaps of her wings they now soared above the Green Fire Queen Ant. Filo came down on the boss monster with bone breaking force, her Steel Claws stabbing in deep.

Shirou, meanwhile, hadn't halted his attack. Arrow after arrow tipped with steel punched into the abdomen and side of the Green Fire Queen Ant, doing damage with each hit and wearing the monstrous queen ant down.

The Green Fire Queen Ant, however, did not react as expected. Instead of trying to shake Raphtalia and Filo off or try and rise in spite of the enemies on its back, it allowed itself to drop like a rock and slammed into the ground.

At that moment, the soil developed sharp spikes.

"Shit!" Shirou swore. "Everyone, watch o-"

The spikes of hardened rock erupted out of the ground like lances. It was an indiscriminate attack that targeted everything around the Green Fire Queen Ant. Mimicking the shrapnel in a hurricane, the earthen spikes decimated the surroundings, shredding said surroundings in a gruesome display.

Shirou dove behind Naofumi, which ended up being a wise decision. The Air Strike Shield and the Meteor Shield, both having already received significant punishment, shattered almost immediately in the face of the sudden barrage.

The Shield Hero protected his body as much as he could behind his shield, but more than a few of the earthen spikes struck his body directly. Lances of pain erupted all over him. His Defence was strong enough to keep him mostly safe, but he still took damage. Even if the spikes did not manage to pierce his flesh, the sheer force they hit him with still managed to hurt him.

"Raphtalia! Filo!" Naofumi ignored the pain and shouted into the curtain of dirt the attack had thrown up. "Are you two all right!"

"We're fine!" Raphtalia shouted back, which was followed by the sound of flesh being pierced and an unholy screech.

The screen of dirt parted to reveal Raphtalia, having stabbed the Green Fire Queen Ant in the back of the head with her sword. Said monster was trashing and screeching wildly, but the demi-human merely stabbed her sword deeper and viciously twisted the blade. Filo added to its misery by kicking the Boss Monster's back again and again, the hits strong enough to crater its chitinous armor.

Luckily, the Fire Green Queen Ant's attack had targeted everything around it. So, Raphtalia and Filo, who were on its back, had been safe.

Not succeeding in shaking off Raphtalia and Filo with its trashing, the Fire Green Queen Ant rolled onto its back. Raphtalia and Filo were forced to vacate their position lest they be crushed underneath the monster. Rolling back onto its feet, the Fire Green Queen Ant spat out another pillar of flame.

"Meteor Shield," Naofumi quickly deployed the barrier of light again, Raphtalia and Filo running back and getting underneath its protective envelope. The green fire washed over the barrier harmlessly.

"Anyone wounded?" Shirou asked, trying to take stock of the situation.

"I'm fine," Raphtalia answered.

"Me too!" Filo added.

"A few scratches, but nothing serious," Naofumi said last.

The Green Fire Queen Ant stopped its attack, its green flames cutting out. The Green Fire Queen Ant had once again taken to the air, but they noticed something else more alarming.

"More enemies," Raphtalia hissed. Indeed, various classes of Green Fire Ants were clawing their way out of their destroyed nest. There were only a dozen now, but more and more kept appearing. Most of them also appeared injured, but she very much doubted that would halt them from attacking. She was proven right a moment later when the Green Fire Queen Ant released another screech, the underlings taking it as a signal to rush towards them.

Naofumi made a split second decision. "I'll distract the big one, you three try and down the small fry as quickly as possible!"

In the middle of a battle, there was little time for strategizing. More often then not, you had to think on your feet, and as the others didn't have a better idea, they nodded their heads and agreed to the rather sudden change in tactics. The sudden change in the situation warranted it.

Shirou, Raphtalia and Filo charged towards the small army of Fire Green Ants. Naofumi, meanwhile, ran to the other side, raised his shield over his head, using a Skill he'd gained from one of the shields in the Old Man's shop. "Hate Reaction!" Energy that was faintly tinged red lashed out in every direction from him. In game terms, it would be a Skill that drew aggro from surrounding enemies and made them focus on the user. Its effective range was fifty meters, and because Naofumi had run in the other directions from the horde of smaller threats, the only enemy that was effected by said Skill was the Green Fire Queen Ant.

Said queen monster reacted instantly. It gave another bone aching screech and started chasing after the Shield Hero, spitting its signature green fire.

"Meteor Shield," Naofumi refreshed the barrier of light. It had fast become his favourite barrier Skill in his arsenal. Not only was it every bit as strong as the Air Strike Shield, it would remain in effect until it broke, and said barrier would move with him as he himself moved. The fact that it allowed him and his party members to attack from inside of it without impediment was just the icing on the cake.

The green pillar of fire washed over the Meteor Shield, doing little. The Fire Green Queen Ant made a noise of surprise as its target unexpectedly started running straight through its attack.

As he ran, Naofumi's hands dipped into his satchel. His attackers might be busy dealing with another threat, but that didn't mean that he was helpless to strike back. "Open up, you ugly bug!" he shouted, pulling out and flinging a glass bottle filled with red powder the moment he broke through.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, close by the destroyed nest, Shirou and Raphtalia stood back to back, guarding each other as a small army of Green Fire Ants surrounded them. Filo was running all over the battlefield, using her incredible speed to dart in, kill one of the ants with a single kick before darting back to safety with the self-same speed. The sheer speed she was moving at gave her kicks incredible weight. To the point that the Green Fire Ant hit by it would all but explode.

Shirou and Raphtalia didn't have that advantage. They were quick, yes, but not Filo levels of quick. But their swordsmanship had improved markedly over the last week of travel now that they used actual stances, footwork, practiced sword swings, blocks and very basic combos. It was still very much rudimentary, but as they deflected the ants haphazard attacks and struck back with confidence, no one could deny that their practice, little as it had been, had been beneficial.

"Yah!" Raphtalia let out a battle cry. She shifted out of the way of a claw strike, before slicing off the offending limb. The Green Fire Soldier Ant gibbered angrily, before the return slice split open its forehead and killed it. Behind her, Shirou's sword moved blindingly quickly, striking the Green Fire Ants before they had properly even begun to attack. They approached, found the limb they went to strike with severed, before receiving a solid strike in return that either crippled or killed them. Those few who actually managed to attack found their attacks blocked before suffering a similar fate.

With the two demi-humans guarding each other's back, restricting how many enemies could gang up on them at once, and protecting the other's blind spots, they should be perfectly fine so long as they didn't tire or made an egregious mistake.

Keyword being _should_.

It happened in a split second. One moment, Raphtalia was swinging her sword, the next, there was a whooshing sound followed by a dull thunk. "Ah!" Raphtalia let out a cry of alarm, a thin length of metal sticking out of her elbow. It was like a needle, and it had stabbed in deep. It didn't do a lot off damage, but Raphtalia's arm lost all power in an instant, and her sword fell from her nerveless fingers.

The Green Fire Soldier Ant she had been facing, one she had been moving to block, found its attack to suddenly be unobstructed. Its swinging claw stabbed into her stomach with a squelch.

"Raphtalia!" Shirou immediately noticed his party member's distressed state, shoved away the duo of Green Fire Soldier Ants he had been tangling with, and moved to aid his companion. But there was another dull sounding whoosh and thunk sound, and Shirou slipped and fell as another needle found its mark into the side of his knee.

The Green Fire Ants surrounding them took the opportunity for what it was, and pounced on them as one. The two demi-humans disappeared into the mass of angry, gibbering insects.

"Onii-Chan! Onee-Chan!" Filo screamed and moved to aid, but before she could do so a spherical object rolled into her path.

And then exploded.

In the distance, where Naofumi had been fighting, there was yet another explosion.

In the mass of Green Fire Soldier Ants, Shirou had thrown himself atop of Raphtalia who'd managed to free herself from the claw stuck in her stomach. Blows rained down on them constantly, deep and bleeding gashes springing into existence on Shirou's back and limbs as he tried to protect Raphtalia as best he could.

"Shirou!" Raphtalia cried, but her eyes widened when Shirou's arm closed around her stomach.

Shirou gritted his teeth at the pain as he braced himself onto the ground. His Magic Circuits spun up, producing magical energy, which he then forced into his leg muscles. That was the only thing that actually made it possible for his nerveless leg to move. And then he leaped, the ground underneath them cratering a little as he jumped with all his might.

The Fire Green Ants atop of them were blown away as the two all but erupted out of the horde of monstrous ants. They soared higher and higher, and Raphtalia looked on wide-eyed as they'd gained quite a bit of air and distance, the Green Fire Ants ten feet below them.

Shirou pulled out one of his last Incendiary Bombs out of his bag and unceremoniously let it drop towards the ground. "Brace yourself!" he shouted, hugging Raphtalia close to him, who similarly held on to him as they began to drop again.

The Incendiary Bomb detonated the very second it reached the mass of Fire Green Ants, their death throes and screeches lost in the concussive explosion and the roar of the flames. The shockwave sent Shirou and Raphtlia, who had been falling towards the ground, tumbling in mid-air. The explosion was not strong enough to sent them flying, but the demi-humans were displaced by the up and close shockwave as insectoid body parts, flames and dirt scattered through the air.

The wind whistled in their ears and the ground approached quickly. Instinctively, Shrou tucked and rolled the moment they struck the ground, taking Raphtalia with him in the movement, slowing them down and shedding momentum in a way that saved them a few broken bones.

Both Shirou and Raphtalia coughed and hacked for air as they came to a sudden stop, trying to orient themselves. Scrambling to get his feet under him, Shirou pulled out a Healing Potion out of his bag that miraculously hadn't shattered. Quickly looking around to make sure that there were no enemies close enough to attack them, he was about to offer the Healing Potion to Raphtalia, only to see that she had already pulled out one of her own Healing Potions from her bag and was downing it, her free hand yanking the needle out of her arm.

Thankfully, her armor had protected her from the worst of it. The claw had only managed to sink in about an inch or so into Raphtalia's stomach before halting, not hitting anything important. It was a wound that a good quality Healing Potion could deal with, and with relative ease.

Seeing that she was fine, he chugged his own Healing Potion as quickly as possible and pulled out the needle stuck in his leg. The cuts all over his body started to mend rapidly. Moreover, he could feel his damaged leg muscles start to heal just as quickly. Using Reinforcement on his own body instead of on an object was something he had barely even practiced, and had been a move of desperation. The fact that he got away with only some damaged muscle tissue, instead of _ruptured_ muscles was lucky to say the least.

"We must meet back up with Filo and Naofumi-sama!"

Shirou agreed immediately and handed over his Magic Steel Sword to Raphtalia. "Here! I will use my bow instead," he said, pulling out his bow and notching a Steel Arrow.

They had just suffered a sneak attack obviously meant to lead to their deaths. Some quick thinking and equally quick action had saved them, but Filo and Naofumi had, if the explosions they had heard weren't their imagination, also been attacked by their unknown assailant. They had to make sure that they were alright and render aid if needed. Besides that, Naofumi's abilities were the only thing that could realistically keep them safe from further sneak attacks.

Understanding each other's thoughts and the best course of action, they started running to where they had last seen their other party members.

"Out of our way!" Raphtalia shouted as a duo of lion-sized Green Fire Soldier Ants moved to attack them. The last Incendiary Bomb had killed most of the remaining Fire Green Ants, which had already been significantly reduced before then, but it hadn't killed _all_ of them. A few of them remained, having been scattered over the clearing by the explosion.

One of them died before they could even get close, a steel tipped arrow punching through the roof of its mouth as it was about to release a screech. Said arrow punched straight through its skull, and the insect monster collapsed like a morbid doll.

And the other one? That one was crushed like, well, like a bug as something heavy came down on it from above and squished it. Something that was large, round and covered in white feathers.

"Filo!" Shirou shouted, relieved. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Onii-chan!" Filo gave a salute with her wing, even as her front bore black scorch marks. "There's no way some little explosion could ever hurt Filo! And you two? I was _soooo_ worried when I saw those nasty ants swarm all over you both."

"We're fine. Shirou got us out of there and we've already drank some Healing Potions," Raphtalia assured. "But never mind that. We need to get to Naofumi-sama!"

"Get on, then," Filo turned around and crouched, and Shirou and Raphtalia quickly clambered onto Filo's back. She was by far the fastest, after all.

The sped off towards Naofumi, ever watchful for more sneak attacks, but none seemed to be coming. A few of the remaining Green Fire Ants tried to waylay them, but Filo literally ran them over as she headed towards the location Naofumi had been fighting.

Said Shield Hero came to a rolling stop in front of them a second later.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia cried in alarm, only for Naofumi to clamber to his feet and raise his shield.

"Meteor Shield!" he activated his favourite Skill, and the barrier of light enclosed all of them, keeping them save, for now at least.

"Are you all right, Master?" Filo asked as Raphtalia and Shirou dismounted from her.

It was a good question. Naofumi's armor, limbs and face all bore scorch marks and burns, and he was panting something fierce, but Naofumi didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out a Healing Potion and downed it. "The damn bug hits like a truck," Naofumi swore as the burns covering his face and limbs started to heal.

"What happened, Naofumi-sama?" Raphtalia asked, looking a little pale.

"The exact same what I am guessing happened to you guys. Someone just tried to get me killed," Naofumi snarled. "Meteor Shield was keeping that green fire at bay, but someone used an explosive, maybe even several, to destroy the barrier and leave me vulnerable. Thank god I still had my other Skills on standby, or it could have been much worse."

"What do we do now?" Filo asked, worried. "We could be attacked at any moment and from any direction without any warning. It's totally unfair!"

"We must first take out all the ants. If we take out the other threats first, it will be safer to search for and defend against whoever just attacked us," Shirou reasoned, already aiming an arrow at the quickly approaching Green Fire Queen Ant.

"You heard him," Naofumi said, quickly agreeing with Shirou. "Filo, Shirou, you two are the only ones with ranged attacks. Take out the Green Fire Queen Ant as quickly as possible before the Meteor Shield breaks! I'll keep a lookout for anymore sneak attacks and defend all of us. Raphtalia, you make sure that the small fry don't bother us!"

"I'm on it," Raphtalia acknowledged, running towards the edge of the barrier. Unnoticed by anyone, she was sweating heavily.

"Shirou, here," Naofumi handed Shirou another Incindiary Bomb. "You've got the best aim. Use it when you see an opening."

Shirou nodded at the instruction and secured the contraption to his belt before drawing his Magic Willow Bow and notching a Steel Arrow.

Filo opened her beak wide, air gathering in front of it. "Faust Wind Sphere!" she intoned as a swirling sphere of piercing wind formed in front of her beak. She fired it straight at the Green Fire Queen Ant, Shirou firing arrow after arrow besides her. One of said well-aimed arrows struck the Boss Monster in the eye, which screeched at the pain, and only started to screech even louder as Filo's spell struck its torso, its chitinous armor doing little to defend it as the sphere of wind dug deep into its flesh.

Enraged at the pain, the Fire Green Queen Ant dropped to the ground, spikes erupting like darts out of the soil. Not done yet, the Boss Monster opened its mouth and spat its signature green flames as it charged straight towards them, following after the veritable wave of spikes.

Wind Sphere after Wind Sphere and arrow after arrow struck the Green Fire Queen Ant, piercing in deep and blowing of chunks from its body, but the monstrous ant showed little signs of slowing down or stopping.

"Air Strike Shield! Shield Prison!" the two barrier Skills formed in a single line, the Shield Prison in the front and the Air Strike Shield in the back, both barriers having manifested in front of the Meteor Shield. The earthen spikes mostly glanced off the Shield Prison's curved surface. Even as more than a few struck the Air Strike Shield and Meteor Shield, the damage was superficial. At full strength, the barrier Skills could take it no problem, but then green fire washed over the Shield Prison, and the first barrier started to buckle underneath the strain.

And it did buckle when the Fire Green Queen Ant smashed into it full force, the Boss Monster bashing its way through. But then it struck the Air Strike Shield, and its forward momentum was halted. And all the while, Shirou and Filo continued with their ranged attacks, wearing the Fire Green Queen Ant down with each solid hit.

Shirou was about to fire another arrow, but a sudden wave of dizziness halted him. Reaching up, he realized that his forehead was matted with sweat and that he was burning up something fierce. His eyes widened in realization. "Raphtalia! Those needles, they were-"

"Poisoned, I know!" Raphtalia shouted back. She had realized it just a moment ago as well when her footing suddenly faltered as she was warding the few remaining Green Fire Soldier Ants away from inside the Meteor Shield, stabbing her sword through it and remaining safe underneath the barrier of light. If it hadn't been for that, she might have taken another nasty injury. "Quick, drink an Antidote!" she advised, she herself having one in hand and pulling out the stopper.

Shirou was already chugging an Antidote down, even as his mind wandered briefly. A sudden sneak attack in the middle of a battle, with a dose of slow-acting poison on top of that. In the event they had survived said sneak attack, they might still lose their lives if they were still fighting and the poison kicked in full force at an inopportune moment. Or if their Antidotes weren't capable of curing them. And that wasn't even mentioning the explosives. Whoever was behind all this, they really wanted all of them dead.

He discarded the now empty bottle, immediately starting to feel better as the Antidote did its work. Before he could start firing again, though, the Fire Green Queen Ant flapped its wings and retreated a little, clearly intent on gathering its strength and attempting another ramming manoeuvre.

"Naofumi, the moment it charges, drop the Air Strike Shield!" Shirou shouted as a sudden idea struck him.

"What?! Are you mad!" Naofumi exclaimed, though he didn't take his eyes off of their enemy.

"Trust me! I need a clean shot!"

Naofumi's eyes briefly darted to Shirou, and then seemed to realize what the demi-human had in mind. "Fine, but if this goes wrong, I'm holding you accountable! Get ready! Here it comes!" his eyes shifted back to the Fire Green Queen Ant just as it began its charge.

Closer and closer the Boss Monster came, building up more and more momentum as its insect wings propelled it forward, speeding up with each repetition. A bulldozer would have been sent flying if it had been struck by the Fire Green Queen Ant's charge.

"Now!"

Which made it all the more surprising for it when the barrier it was intent on ramming and flattening abruptly disappeared. It made the oddly human gesture of opening its mouth in surprise.

"Yah!" A battle cry escaped Shirou as he flung the Incendiary Bomb Naofumi had given him. With his dead on aim, said spherical device disappeared into the open gullet of the Fire Green Queen Ant. The result was obvious.

The Fire Green Queen Ant exploded in a shower of blood, viscera, gore and fire. Its entire head and torso had been completely shredded, laying in meaty chunks all over the clearing, dripping off of the Meteor Shield. The Fire Green Queen Ants hindquarters laid on the ground, the few remaining limbs twitching even in death.

"Ugh," Naofumi looked away from the grisly display.

"Gross, Shirou," Raphtalia joined them, having finished off the remaining small fry. "Good job, but gross."

"Looks yummy," Filo licked her beak.

Naofumi felt his stomach roil, but decided to focus on other matters. "Quick, let's search for whoever just attacked us. If they're still here, we might be able to apprehend them."

"Wouldn't it be better if we left and avoided confrontation?"

"If we did that, we will just be giving them a chance to try and get us killed later," Naofumi countered as his eyes darted across the treeline. That, and if they just left, he would lose the chance to absorb the monster corpses and further improve on his shield. It was a minor factor in his reasoning, but it still was valid. "So long as we remain underneath the Meteor Shield and stay on our toes, it should be fine."

"That's true," Raphtalia agreed. "Can we first get my sword back? I lost it in all the chaos, and I'd feel better if I had it back."

* * *

"Naofumi-sama, everyone, over here," Raphtalia beckoned them over.

They had been cautiously searching their surroundings for their attacker for the last twenty minutes, remaining in the protective envelope of the Meteor Shield as they searched. This slowed them down, but searching quicker at the expense of safety was not an option. Not with would be assassins around.

Still, their search had paid off, because they had found their would be assassin. The group peered over the shrubbery the person had been hiding behind, and found a person in the exact same get-up as the ninjas they had seen back in Riyute Village. This person was the exact same, decked out in all black clothing that hid their face and body to such an extent that it was impossible to tell if they were male or female.

The only difference was that this ninja was most definitely dead.

He or she laid stock-still on the ground on their stomach. The cause of death was obvious: a fist sized circular hole in the person's back at chest height. The body laid in a massive pool of blood that painted the entire forest floor crimson.

"All this blood," Shirou said grimly. "Whatever did this must blown their heart clean out…"

"What does this mean? What happened?" Filo asked, tilting her head quizzically.

"Impossible to tell," Naofumi said, shaking his head.

"Maybe…the person that tried to assassinate us was themselves assassinated?" Raphtalia suggested.

"It's useless to speculate. We simply don't know enough," Naofumi reiterated. "We don't even know if this is the person that tried to get us killed in the first place."

"What do we do, then?" Raphtalia switched mental tracks.

"…Naofumi, absorb the body into the Legendary Shield," Shirou suddenly suggested.

Naofumi blinked. "What? Are you serious?"

Shirou was adamant. "We can't just leave the body here. It might hold some clues. And I'd rather not stay here longer then necessary. I know that its distasteful, but it's the best option. We can do the same with all the monster corpses and then book it out of here."

Naofumi frowned. "Fine," he relented, reaching for the corpse. Said corpse disappeared in a flash as the Legendary Shield absorbed it. Still, even if he understood the logic, Naofumi felt dirty treating the corpse of a human the same as a monster's. "Done. Now, let's go back for those monster corpses and get the hell out of here."

* * *

When they got back to the carriage, they first checked if everything was in order. Shirou in particular was worried that whoever it was that attacked them might have messed with the structural integrity of their carriage in order to cause an accident. Thankfully, they found nothing to be amiss, and the few belongings they had laying around in the carriage were still there. It wasn't a lot of stuff, as their most important belongings they either carried on them or were stored in Naofumi's Item Box, but it was a relief all the same.

They quickly hooked Filo up the carriage and went back on the road. Naofumi, meanwhile, as he was in the driver's seat, had a particular shield equipped. Its Base Defence was low, but its Special Ability Detection (medium) would immediately give a warning if a person or monster came in fifty meters of them if they weren't part of their party.

Inside the carriage, Shirou and Raphtalia sat with their study books in their laps, but one other object laid in between them held all their attention: a pendant made out of a sword, spear and bow. It had been one of the objects that had been on the body of their would be assassin. Naofumi had checked and manifested the items from the Legendary Shield the would be assassin had been carrying.

This pendant in particular painted a likely suspect and motive.

"So," Raphtalia grumbled. "The Church of the Three Heroes is now trying to kill us?"

"I wonder why they waited until now?" Shirou questioned. "Considering their views, I'm honestly not sure why they didn't kill Naofumi the moment they summoned him."

There was a moment of silence.

Naofumi released a sigh from the driver's seat, having been listening in. "Ever since learning about the Church of the Three Heroes I've been asking myself the same thing. If I am the literal devil in their minds, it would make sense to dispose of me immediately, but they didn't do that."

"It's the same as with that assassin," Shirou said. "We simply don't know enough to speculate."

"That's…not completely true," Raphtalia offered hesitantly. "I think I might know why Melromarc and the Church of the Three Heroes didn't kill Naofumi-sama right after summoning him."

Shirou's raccoon ears perked up and Naofumi let out a noise of interest. "Oh, do tell."

Raphtalia squirmed. "I can't be certain, but…I think the reason why they let Naofumi-same live up to now might have been purely political."

"Political?"

Raphtalia nodded. "I don't know all the details, but…Just as how in Melromarc the Sword Hero, Spear Hero and Bow Hero are deified and the Shield Hero is cast of as the devil, there are countries in the world where the situation is reversed. In those countries the Shield Hero is worshipped and the other Heroes are the ones seen as devils."

"Really?" Naofumi asked, his tone of voice indicating his interest.

"Yeah, the Shield Hero is seen as the singular true god in demi-human nations. At least, that's what my parent's always told me," Raphtalia confirmed.

"I see where you're going with this," Shirou mused. "I can't imagine Melromarc having good relations with demi-human countries. The fact that they summoned the Shield Hero, their god, alone might be enough to cause hostilities. If they just outright killed the Shield Hero…"

Raphtalia nodded. "It would probably lead to a war if they had killed Naofumi-sama. But if the Shield Hero died on his own without outside interference…"

"Tch," Naofumi made an angry sound. "So, they were really trying to set me up to die from the start. I mean, the fact that not one of the adventurers that the Trash King provided would party with me, the denial of funds, that Bitch's accusation, it was all in an effort to get me killed," he hissed. "What a load of bullshit."

"That still doesn't quite add up, though," Shirou said, appearing thoughtful. "They still could have got Naofumi killed early on through similar means that they tried today. They didn't have to wait for that until he was capable of defending himself. We have a possible motive for letting for Naofumi live at first, but they had ways around that. I do believe we are on the right track, but there must have been more to it than that," he said, then sighed. "But I have no idea what those reason might be, or why they suddenly changed their mind and are now trying to kill us."

"…Maybe they didn't think Naofumi-sama was a threat?" Raphtalia suggested. "From what Naofumi-sama told us, nearly everyone he met seems to have a low opinion of the Shield Hero and his abilities. If they had something to gain by letting Naofumi-sama live at first, and they didn't think he was a threat, they would have no reason to kill him. But now that Naofumi-sama has proven that he can rather convincingly beat the Spear Hero…He must have become a genuine threat in their eyes."

"That's…damn," Shirou swore, rubbing his temple. "That makes a scary amount of sense."

Naofumi chuckled in self derision. "In hindsight, curb stomping Motoyasu might not have been the best idea."

"I'm sorry, Naofumi," the male demi-human said. "I shouldn't have-"

"Don't you even start, Shirou," Naofumi cut him off. "You might have suggested that duel, but I was the one that agreed to it. And-," he himself was cut off as his shield released a low pitch, grating squeal. The Special Ability Detection (medium) had just been triggered. "We'll continue this talk later. There is someone close by."

While they had been talking, their carriage had been going up a mountain and was approaching a bend in the road. Once they had rounded that bend, they saw a man running up the mountain in the same direction they were going.

Raphtalia and Shirou had joined Naofumi at the front of the carriage. Naofumi, meanwhile, directed Filo to go around the man, but apparently the man had heard the clatter of their carriage's wheels on the road. The man turned around, his eyes went wide, and he stepped directly in the path of their carriage. The man started waving his hands frantically. "P-please!" the man began, heaving for breath and covered in sweat. "Give me a ride on your carriage!"

Despite his misgivings, Naofumi was forced to halt the carriage.

"What's the matter?" Raphtalia asked kindly. The man didn't notice how her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

"I need to get past this mountain," the man explained, holding up a potion bottle. "I need to get this medicine to my mother as quick as possible. She is deadly ill, and I fear for her life. Please, I'll do anything, just take me back to my village as quickly as possible!"

The man pleaded, bowing his head, but became uncomfortable at the brief silence that followed and the suspicious look he got from Naofumi.

"…Lets take him along," Shirou suggested. "I'll keep a close eye on him."

_I know that this might be a trap, but we can't abandon this man if it's not. I will make sure he doesn't pull anything. _

Naofumi could practically hear Shirou's thought process. "…Fine," the Shield Hero said grudgingly. "If you try anything, you won't like the results. And I'd expect to be paid for this. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," the man looked faintly disturbed at the clear suspicion he was being treated with, but he did not hesitate getting on to the carriage. The eyes of Shirou and Raphtalia followed him constantly. When he sat down, Shirou and Raphtalia also sat down in such a way that both could constantly keep their gaze on the man. "Just hurry, please. My mother wasn't doing well when I left home…"

Naofumi merely grunted in acknowledgement and directed Filo to start running again. In the blink of an eye, they were speeding up the mountain again.

* * *

In the next village over, where they arrived about twenty minutes later, the man led the party to a small house on the outskirts of said village. Strangely, even if it was only late midday, they didn't see anyone out and about on the streets. After letting them in, Naofumi was strangely insistent on following the man into the room the man's sick mother was resting.

"Why don't you go boil some water," Naofumi suggested. "I'll administer the medicine."

"Is that okay?" the man looked faintly uneasy.

"Just go do it already," Naofumi pried the medicine from the man's fingers. "I'll freely admit I am not the kindest person around, but I won't harm or cause harm to a sick Old Lady just because."

After a moment of hesitation, the man stepped out of the room.

Naofumi turned back to the Old Lady laying in bed. Only her head peeked out from under the covers. She was old, at least in her eighties by Naofumi's best guess. Her skin was wrinkled and her hair was stark grey. More importantly, she was panting heavily and curled up in pain.

He held up the medicine, and several pop-ups drifted into his field of vision.

**[Skill - Medicine Efficacy Up (small)]**

**[Skill - Medicine Efficacy Up (medium)]**

**[Skill - Medicine Efficacy Up (large)]**

There was a reason Naofumi had insisted on administering the medicine personally. He had multiple Skills that increased the effectiveness of medicines and potions if he personally administered them. It made logical sense if he was the one to give the Old Lady her medicine. It was just the right thing to do. Moreover, happy customers were known to pay more and put up less of a fuss when paying their dues.

Naofumi carefully propped up the Old Lady and placed the vail of the medicine against her lips. "Here, drink. It will make you feel better."

The Old Lady didn't respond to his words, she simply drank the medicine down with careful sips. Apparently, whatever sickness she had, it was serious enough that responding verbally was too much for her. Still, no matter how serious the disease, the Shield Hero's Skills were not to be underestimated. The Old Lady briefly emitted a faint light, and the pallor of her skin immediately started to improve. Her breathing evened out, and she relaxed measurably, no longer curling up now that the pain had begun to ebb away.

"Thank you, young man," the Old Lady murmured to him, now sitting up on her own power. "I feel much better already."

"Mother!" the man stepped back into the room, a pot of boiling water in his hands. He looked at his mother with wide eyes, stunned at her rapid improvement. "Is the medicine already working?"

The Old Lady nodded and smiled at her visibly relieved son.

"I-I don't know what to say. It's almost like a miracle," the man said, turning to Naofumi and giving a grateful smile.

Naofumi hid his discomfort at receiving honest thanks behind his customary scowl. "We'll call it even so long as you pay up."

"I'll see what I can scrounge up," the man nodded, actually looking happy at having to pay.

* * *

Shirou, Raphtalia, and Filo in her Filolial Queen form had been waiting outside. The house they were at was on a fairly large hill on the village's outskirts, and because of this they had a good view of said village and its streets, which were conspicuously empty.

"I wonder where everybody is?" Shirou questioned.

"Maybe they are all eating?" Filo suggested. Leave it to a glutton to always be thinking about food.

Before Raphtalia could give her thoughts, Naofumi stepped out of the house.

"How did it go?" Raphtalia asked.

"Better than it probably had any right to. For an Old Lady, she sure recovered quickly," Naofumi shook his head. "I think that Old Lady scared her son half to death when she got up and started going through some kind of workout routine."

Shirou blinked. "Workout routine?"

"Like something a martial artist would do to warm up their body before training," Naofumi confirmed and nodded. "I think my Skills concerning medicines might be becoming a bit _too _effective."

"I don't think medicine can ever be considered too effective, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia said drily.

"I'd have to agree, young lady," the Old Lady said as she stepped out of the house, surprising them.

"Mother, please go back to bed," the man, her son, followed her out of the house, looking a little bit desperate. "You may be feeling better, but there's no way your healthy enough to be moving about."

"Nonsense!" the Old Lady gave a hearty laugh and cartwheeled her arm in a show of vigour. "I feel a decade or three younger! I haven't been this healthy in years!"

"Huh?" the man appeared nonplussed. "But the potion I bought was just average quality medicine…"

"Of course it was. The reason it was so effective wasn't because of the medicine, but because of this young man," the Old Lady directed a smile at Naofumi. "Don't try and deny it. I heard you say as much just now. You have some abilities that make medicine and potions more effective than normal, don't you?"

The man's eyes widened. "So, that's why you insisted on administering the medicine personally?"

"…Yeah," Naofumi nodded. Like the Old Lady had said, there was no reason to deny it now that they had heard him confirm it. "I do have some training as an Apothecary, and I also have some abilities in that vein."

"Considering that, I am certain that there are more people in this village that would like to make use of your services, young man," the Old Lady said, then shook her head. "But before that, I would like to ask you all something important: did you run into a spot of trouble before arriving here?"

Several eyes widened at the same time.

"A sneak attack, perhaps?" the Old Lady continued to probe. Unnoticed by anyone, her foot was idly playing with a thin length of twig that laid on the ground.

"How do you...?" Naofumi started to ask, trailing off at the smile on the Old Lady's face.

"It's just an educated guess, young man," the Old lady said. "The clear suspicious looks that you in particular keep giving everyone and everything around you. The fact that you and your companion's armor seem to have some damage despite clearly being brand new. And…"

Abruptly, with a speed that startled everybody – even Shirou's eyes weren't capable of following the movements – the Old Lady kicked up the length of twig on the ground. The Old Lady's fingers closed around the twig as it briefly floated in mid-air, and with a spin she launched it towards the treeline that was well over 100 meters away, flinging it as straight as an arrow with all the force of a round fired from a railgun.

In the distance, there was a barely perceivable meaty thunk sound.

"What are you…!" Shirou exclaimed, taking a step back in alarm.

"I'll explain shortly, young man," the Old Lady started walking towards the treeline. Silently, she was telling them to follow her.

The man immediately started to follow his mother, naturally trusting her. They shared a look amongst themselves, briefly debating whether or not to follow, before deciding to head into the forest. They still kept a healthy amount of distance out of precaution.

"Ah, like I expected," the Old Lady said. Ahead of them, a person dressed exactly the same as the dead person they had found after their attempted assassination was up against a tree, the twig the Old Lady had thrown having somehow pierced the person's shoulder and also having pierced deep into the tree behind them, pinning them like a bug on a board.

Said person was struggling to escape, frantically trying to pull the twig out of their shoulder. But the twig had pierced so deep into the tree that it was futile. More noteworthy was that the person, ninja, whatever, was completely silent as they continued to try and free themselves.

The Old Lady let out a sigh. "You damn Shadows, always sneaking and skulking around where you are not wanted. Now, why are you troubling these nice people? Why do you wish them harm? Oh, and don't try and lie. If you had repressed your hostile intent from the start, I wouldn't have been able to perceive your presence."

The pinned so called Shadow remained silent.

"Not going to say anything?" the Old Lady appeared disappointed. "It's always the same with your kind. Not even the threat of death or torture will get you to talk, but I had hoped that I could still end up being surprised in my old age. What a shame."

The Old Lady reached out with her hand and poked at the Shadow's neck with but a single finger. Abruptly, the Shadow stopped struggling and went limp, either out cold or dead.

"I had hoped we might have been able to gain some information, but it appears that isn't in the cards this time," the Old Lady said and turned back towards them.

"Who are you?" Naofumi said without preamble, shield and guard raised.

The Old Lady smiled kindly, her cheeks dimpling. "Just an old woman who has seen and experienced much over her long life. If you and your companions want, I'll even tell you a few things I have learned, including about the people out to hurt you. What do you say? Will you give this old woman the chance to repay the debt I now owe you?"

There was moment of silence.

"…Deal," Naofumi said despite his misgivings. "Then, lets hear what you have to say."


	13. Journey 2

**Sword and Shield**

**Journey 2**

Even as the Old Lady's son poured tea for them, Naofumi could not help but stare in suspicion at said Old lady who sat across from them. All of them were currently sat at the dining room table, staring at each other in silence.

"So," Naofumi was the first to break the silence. "Spill," he said curtly.

The Old lady laughed heartily at Naofumi's brusque mannerisms. "You asked about myself first, so I'll start with that. Not like there's much to tell," she tittered. "My name is Elrasla Grilaroc, a practitioner of the Hengen Musou (Unparalleled Transformation Style) style of martial arts. I'm a former adventurer that has travelled all over the world, seen much, experienced much and fought even more. But that is all in the past. Now, I'm just an old lady trying to live her twilight days in peace. And I truly thought the twilight of my days had come, until you and your merry band showed up, young man."

"Bullshit," Naofumi deadpanned. "If you're just a former adventurer and martial artist, how you could you possibly know about the people gunning for our lives?"

"Naofumi," Shirou sighed at the Shield Hero's less than stellar manners.

Elrasla Grilaroc, again, just laughed. "A former adventurer and martial artist that has experienced and seen much," she reiterated. "I've had more than a few encounters with Shadows and their ilk in my lifetime."

"And just what is a Shadow?" Raphtalia jumped in.

"In simple terms?" Elrasla snorted. "Shadow is a catch-all term used for covert personnel: people that work in the shadows at the behest or in the employ of certain groups, be they countries or organizations. They are spies and assassins that are trained from a young age, and once they reach maturity, they are stripped of their name and identity and become just another Shadow that will do everything that is commanded of them. Not all organizations have them, but you will be hard pressed to find a nation that doesn't have their own group of Shadows working for them."

"So they are meanies that attack people in the back? Blech," Filo, now in her human form, made a face and complained like the child she appeared to be.

"That they are, but they have conviction of nothing else," Elrasla said. "Every Shadow in the world receives mental training that ensures that they will never crack under torture and reveal the identity and motivations of their employer, or master, if you want to be more specific."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "And that's why you killed that Shadow instead of capturing them?"

Elrasla huffed. "I didn't kill them. I just knocked them out. A Shadow almost never works alone. If you see one, you can be damn sure that there are a dozen more that you're not seeing. And Shadows are nothing if not thorough. Even if they would never talk, their companions would not tolerate the existence of a potential information leak. If we had captured that Shadow, the other Shadows would do their darndest trying to rescue them, or silence them for good. Not worth the hassle. With the way I knocked them out, that Shadow will be out of commission for a few days, removing them from the picture and hopefully keeping a few of their companions busy with their care in the meantime."

Now Naofumi appeared alarmed. Specifically, he was alarmed at the revelation that there were most likely more of these Shadows skulking around. Not in fifty meters of them, as the Special Ability Detection (medium) was still effective, but anything beyond that was fair game.

"Don't start panicking, young man," Elrasla cautioned. "Shadows don't act overtly, ever. Your average Shadow isn't very strong, so instead of seeking direct confrontation, they'll try any and all underhanded methods to kill their targets. Poison, assassination, manufacturing accidents. This makes them dangerous to be sure, but so long as you keep your guard up, restrict the methods they can strike at you with, and if you are strong enough, it's more than manageable to deal with them."

Shirou pondered Elrasla's words. "The Shadow earlier today tried to get us killed by attacking us covertly in the middle of a pitched battle with monsters," he pondered aloud. "Which would suggest, on top of not wanting our deaths to be able to lead back to them and whoever they are working for, that they are not confident in beating us in a direct fight. So, what Elrasla is saying would make sense in that context…"

"Using poison would not be particularly be effective on us either in normal circumstances, considering the high quality potions Naofumi-sama is capable of making and his abilities being what they are," Raphtalia added.

"Which leaves assassination and manufacturing an accident as the best possible methods to do away with us," Naofumi finished. "And because they are trying to do it in a way so that it cannot be traced back to them, both those things come down to the same thing: a direct or indirect sneak attack."

"Exactly," Elrasla nodded, idly sipping from her now cool tea. "Considering that the political scene is what it is, the Shadows of the Church of the Three Heroes would definitely rely more on indirect methods then direct ones in this situation. I may not know much of politics, but even I know that the death of the Shield Hero on Melromarcian soil would most likely lead to war. Said war would become a guarantee if said death were to happen under suspicious circumstances."

"That's right…" Naofumi nodded, absently agreeing before he trailed off. He looked wide eyed at Elrasla.

"Don't be so alarmed, young man," Elrasla chuckled. "That strangely shaped shield on your arm, plus the fact that you aren't carrying any offensive weapon, gave it away. Not to mention that the Shadow I dealt with earlier was carrying this," she said, holding up another pendant of the Church of the Three Heroes.

Shirou had to wonder when and how Elrasla had snagged that pendant. He had not taken his eyes off her since the moment she had skewered the Shadow to a tree earlier. Was there some trick involved, or was she just that quick?

He wasn't quite sure which answer to that question would be more humbling and/or frightening.

"I was never much of a religious woman," Elrasla chuckled. "And considering you'd helped me, I don't bare you any grudge. So please, trust me when I say I don't mean you any harm."

"The same for me," the man nodded. "That said, I would not advertise that you are the Shield Hero in the village. While most people around here aren't ardent followers of the Church of the Three Heroes, there are still more than a few zealots around."

"That won't be a problem," Naofumi said. "We are merely passing through. After we're done here we will be heading out again."

"Ah, Shield Hero-sama, before you set out once more, I'd first like to make a request of you," Elrasla said, suddenly becoming serious and speaking in a formal manner. "Did you notice on your way here that this village seems to be abandoned?"

"Yes, we did," Shirou cut in. "And I'm guessing you are about to explain why?"

Elrasla nodded. "In truth everyone here is in self-imposed isolation inside their homes, only going out when needed."

"And why would they do that?" Raphtalia asked.

Elrasla was grim. "People usually hide in order to avoid something unpleasant. It's no different in this case: an unknown pandemic has sprung up in these parts. Its origin is unknown, but it's not a particularly deadly disease. Young, healthy people on the whole don't seem all that affected, and if they do develop symptoms they are usually mild, but if you're already sick, _very_ young, or old, as you have seen in my case, it can be deadly without proper care. That said, this disease is highly contagious and those who _are _vulnerable always invariably seem to catch the disease and develop symptoms."

"…You want me to treat those who are sick, don't you?" Naofumi asked in knowing manner.

"Correct," Elrasla nodded.

"There's plenty for you in it, Shield Hero-sama," the man suddenly jumped in, having learned a little of what made Naofumi tick. "It's not only this village. I personally know of half a dozen villages in the area with sick people. And, much to the misfortune of the people around here, no Apothecaries live in those villages. I bet people would be willing to pay handsomely for your skills and potions."

Naofumi had to admit, this unassuming man knew how to pitch an idea to him, but… "Unfortunately, we have been traveling with the aim of leaving Melromarc, and this was before we knew that the Shadows of the Church of the Three Heroes are trying to get us killed. While I wouldn't mind selling my services to the people here and surrounding villages, I won't do it if it will put me and mine in danger. And I'm guessing that, the faster we leave the country, the safer it will be for us."

Elrasla nodded, not appearing surprised. "I'd figured as much, and because of that, I would like to sell my services to you in turn."

""""Eh?"""" Naofumi, Shirou, Raphtalia and Filo made noises of surprise in unison.

Elrasla chuckled. "You might remember me saying earlier that I wouldn't have been able to detect that Shadow if he had hidden his hostile intentions? To be honest that was a bit of misdirection of my own for any of the other Shadows listening in."

"And why would you do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'd said as much just now, to mislead them," Elrasla reiterated. "The Hengen Musou style of martial arts has a few unusual facets that puts it apart from other martial art styles. Some of these facets are a little more…esoteric, and make it possible to keep track of one's surroundings at all times easily."

"Ah!" Raphtalia made a noise of understanding. "So, in other words, you're proposing traveling with us, and using your abilities, you'd keep us safe and warn us if any of these Shadows were getting close?"

"Not exactly," Elrasla shook her head. "Unfortunately, an infestation of some troublesome monsters has taken root down the mountain and has been harassing and attacking any travellers coming in this direction. It's because of this infestation that Apothecaries from other settlements have been prevented from coming, even if there is plenty of work to do here. Instead, I'll propose this: I will go deal with these monsters, and my son will take up the role of keeping you safe from Shadows until I return," she smiled. "Don't worry, I know he doesn't look like much, and he might not be a true martial artist like me, but he is still more than capable of keeping a lookout for a few Shadows."

Said man in question looked resigned. They got the feeling that the man wasn't happy with the job his mother wanted to saddle him with, or the way she was talking about him, but it appeared that he knew that arguing against Elrasla was a fool's job and resigned himself to task.

Naofumi blinked. Once. "This infestation wouldn't happen to be a nest of Green Fire Ants, right?"

"Yes, that's exactly right," Elrasla was about to continue, stopped and blinked a couple of times before opening her mouth again. "You said earlier that a Shadow tried to have you killed in a pitched battle with monsters. Those monster…"

"Were Green Fire Ants," Naofumi confirmed. "We even went to their nest and destroyed it with the use of poison and Incendiary Bombs. We slaughtered those that survived the bombs, Queen and all."

"Hah!" Elrasla struck her stomach in mirth. "What fortuitous coincidence! In that case, I will accompany you myself from the start, because I know my son is not a fan of traveling if it is not absolutely needed," she said, and the son in question looked much relieved. "That is, if you will allow it?"

"…What do you guys think?" Naofumi asked his party.

"I think it's a good idea Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia answered. "She has already shown she is more than capable."

"If nothing else, considering the circumstances, I doubt this is a trap of some kind, and an extra set of helping hands won't hurt," Shirou was more conservative, but still agreed.

"Good idea. The Old Lady feels nice!" Filo said happily.

"She _feels _nice," Naofumi repeated, dumbstruck. He then shook his head and turned his attention to Elrasla again.

Said Old Lady smiled widely at him. "I guess I'm in, huh?"

"For now, so long as you remain useful," Naofumi countered Elrasla's sass merely out of habit.

That merely got another cackle out of her. "Don't you worry, young man, this old bag of bones won't let you down. I'll even teach you and your youngsters the Hengen Musou. The moment you learn the value of this martial art, you'll be singing my praises from dawn till dusk."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Naofumi deadpanned. "And I don't think any one of us is particularly suited for learning martial arts to begin with."

"You shouldn't make such declarations before learning about the specifics," Elrasla cautioned sternly. "Hengen Musou is highly adaptable. One's talent in applying its teachings may vary from person from person, but anyone has the capacity of learning its principles and amplifying their combat abilities twice over. A level difference of two dozen means little in the face of the Hengen Musou."

Shirou narrowed his eyes at Elrasla's boast. Whatever this martial arts exactly entailed, Shirou's gut was telling him the Old Lady wasn't lying.

"I'll believe it when I see it," was Naofumi's contrary answer.

* * *

Shirou and Raphtalia were busy corralling people.

"Everyone! Gather the sick in a circle!" It took some doing, but the family members of the sick in the village arrayed them as instructed, with Naofumi in the centre.

The Shield Hero was joined in the centre by a young child, a girl no older than three, being cradled by her clearly distressed mother. Around them over two dozen sick people were settled around the small town square, similarly being supported by their families and friends. Naofumi cast his eyes over the congregation and raised one of his self-made potions.

**[Skill – Medicine Efficacy Up (small)]**

**[Skill – Medicine Efficacy Up (medium)]**

**[Skill – Medicine Efficacy Up (large)]**

**[Skill – Medicine Effect Range Expansion (small)]**

**[Skill – Medicine Effect Range Expansion (medium)]**

Nodding to himself, Naofumi crouched down before the sick child. "Open up and drink, it'll make you feel better," he said, an uncharacteristic gentle edge to his voice, probably because the girl in question reminded him off Raphtalia when she was still small with her chocolate colored eyes, brown hair and cute face.

At her mother's gentle urgings, the girl opened her mouth as Naofumi placed the vail against her lips and tipped it back. The liquid of the potion was bitter, Naofumi knew, but the girl soldiered through in an admirable fashion, and the moment she had finished downing the potion, the Shield Hero's Skills took effect. The girl's body lit up with a faint light, her complexion instantly improving and her breathing smoothing out. And as she improved, the light she was emitting spread out, flowing from sick person to sick person, curing them in an expanding wave. In less than a minute, all of the sick in the town square visibly improved.

Murmurs erupted from everyone in attendance.

"I-it's a miracle!" the mother cried, hugging her child and directing a grateful, teary eyed gaze at Naofumi. "Thank you! You are a Saint!"

"Thank you, mister," the girl murmured, opening her eyes and smiling at him.

The people watching from the fringes were equally impressed.

"Did you see that?" one of them whispered to his fellows in disbelieve. "One simple potion, and poof. A dozen people are cured. How in the hell…"

"It must be a divine gift," another said. "To cure so many people so easily all at once."

"A Holy Saint," another said, a woman, who had clasped her hands as if in prayer. "A true Holy Saint has come to answer our prayers!"

The murmuring picked up in volume. Words of thanks, of prayers, of miracles, of Saints were thrown around like they were going out of style, and Naofumi, who always felt uncomfortable if people were to treat him kindly, had to fight to keep his discomfort from showing.

"Next!" he said simply, and the villager's who had previously been sceptical, eagerly carried their sick friends and family members toward him. The cured, meanwhile, were brought back to their homes to rest.

So it continued, the sick being cured by the dozen with every single potion used. The Mayor of the town, a lady every bit as old as Elrasla, looked on, stress and wariness seeming to fall away from her like the water from a waterfall as she saw her community being cured of its affliction.

"I was sceptical when you brought this Apothecary to me. He hardly seems like the caring sort, even if he'd cured you beforehand," the Mayor breathed. "But I'll freely admit that I was wrong. At this rate, the pandemic will be eradicated from our village within the hour…"

"I thought you'd learned to not ever mistrust my word by now," Elrasla laughed and clapped her old friend on the shoulder.

"True, you have never steered me wrong before," the Mayor laughed along with Elrasla.

They shared a quiet moment of comradery, simply watching the proceedings in silence.

"Besides that, did your runner confirm the Holy Saint's claims?" Elrasla, even as she took on a sudden new way to address Naofumi, suddenly switched tracks, turning serious.

"He returned not ten minutes ago. The Green Fire Ants' nest is gone, exterminated to the last," the Mayor shook her head in an affirmation of her disbelieve. "I don't know what we did to deserve this fortuitous turn of events, but I'm nonetheless glad for it. God must be smiling on us."

"He just might be," Elrasla smiled, chuckling as if she knew a secret she wasn't intending on telling. "And now that the Holy Saint his kept his part of the bargain, I'll have to keep mine."

"Don't try and make it seem like this wasn't exactly what you wanted," the Mayor snorted, giving her friend a look.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Elrasla tried to play innocent.

"Please, remember who you are talking to," the Mayor snorted. "How many times have you come to my home for a drink, whining about the good old days? The days when you were an adventurer, traveling all over the world, battling powerful foes, getting embroiled in wacky escapades and honing your skills? It's virtually all you talk about."

"Alright, you got me," Elrasla raised her hands in surrender. "Honestly, even if they hadn't been able to cure everyone here and took care of the Green Fire Ants nest, I still would have felt obligated to offer them my services. The mere chance to set out and see the world again is more than enough for me…"

"I can't say I'm surprised," the Mayor snorted again.

"That, and," Elrasla continued, shooting a glance at the Shield Hero. "These young one's are in a spot of trouble right now."

"…Which is just catnip for an adrenaline junky like you, isn't it?" the mayor asked knowingly.

"You know me so well," Elrasla grinned shamelessly.

* * *

"Ya-_ha_!"

Two war shouts were released into the air, and sharpened steel rang eerily like the bells of a temple as the blades met each other again and again, said steel reflecting the orange glow of the setting sun. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Seven times in quick succession did the weapons clash in the blink of an eye, sparks flying as the two combatants searched for an opening, only stopping when one of them found a hole in the other's guard. The blade swung true, its gleaming edge seeking blood, and the one who lost the exchange of blows was forced to quickly disengage, lest she be cut.

Raphtalia breathed deeply, sweat streaming from her forehead and dripping into her eyes. She was, in a word, drenched, exhausted by constant battle and movement. Her limbs trembled from exertion and though it was difficult to see, there was a faint light of frustration in her eyes.

Shirou, who stood across from her and was baring his sword at her, and who was equally drenched in sweat, still managed to spot Raphtalia's well-hidden frustration. And he knew the reason for said frustration: in every single exchange in this spar, and every other spar before this one, Raphtalia had always come out the loser. When it came to pure physical ability, they were about even, as they were of the exact same Level, even if Shirou's larger mass gave him an advantage. But when it came to skill in wielding a blade, Shirou outclassed her royally in every regard.

Not only that, but as time wore on, the gap in skill became ever greater. At first, Raphtalia could keep up much longer in their spars, to the point that it really was just training together. But Shirou had improved so much so quickly that it had stopped being 'training together' and had become 'being taught' for her. His stance, his footwork, the sheer grace and speed he now displayed as he wielded a blade…all of it now eclipsed her own skill by an order of magnitude.

That said, even if Shirou recognized her frustration for what it was, he wasn't quite sure how to address it. He wracked his brain for some advice he could give, or at the very least some encouraging words, but he had trouble thinking of anything.

Thankfully, someone else who had been watching decided to step in for him.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, young lady," Elrasla, now decked out in Chinese-looking martial arts style uniform, seemed to warp in front of Raphtalia, reaching up and rapping her on the forehead.

Said raccoon girl yelped, both at Elrasla's sudden appearance and the rap to the forehead.

"Considering this young man's nature, it's only to be expected he would eclipse you when it comes to wielding weapons," Elrasla chided gently. "Don't envy his greater improvement, but instead be grateful for it _and_ his continued tutelage. In battle, an ally's strength is your own, and the fact that you are sparing and training together means that you are both improving. The act of teaching is likewise a form of learning. If party members have one central duty to each other besides looking out for each other, it's honing their own _and_ each other's power."

"I-I'm sorry," Raphtalia stammered, bowing her head.

Elrasla chuckled. "Don't worry your pretty little head, young lady. It's perfectly normal to get frustrated when you see someone else improving more when you put in the same amount of effort. You just need to keep things in perspective, that's all."

Shirou joined them, having sheathed his blade, and nodded towards the now relaxed Raphtalia. "Did you get to see what you wanted?"

Elrasla abruptly got serious. "Yes," she nodded, crossing her arms. "Both of you possess strong spirits," she said to the confusion of both demi-humans. "If you were to strip away all of the concepts and forms of the Hengen Musou style of martial arts and leave only the core of the style you would be left with one key aspect: the energy of life."

The old martial artist smiled at the confused looks she received.

"Let's start simple and with something all of you are already familiar with: the energy of life," Elrasla tittered. "Tell me, what do you think this energy of life I speak of is?"

Shirou and Raphtalia were silent for a moment, both of them pondering Elrasla's question. A second later, a metaphorical lightbulb went off above Raphtalia's head. "Is, is it the energy that a living being produces and Magic Circuits converts into magical energy? The energy that Magic Shop Owner called Life Force?" she ventured.

"Correct!" Elrasla clapped her hands in delight. "That's exactly right. Besides the energy of life, or Life Force, this energy that is an inherent part of life goes by many names, but I prefer the word _Ki_, as it is the same name the founder of Hengen Musou used. He was the first person who succeeded in harnessing Life Force, _Ki_, directly and applying it in combat."

"Sounds like a load of quackery to me," Naofumi grumbled from where he was sat on the grass, idly working on one of his concoctions, the ingredients laid out on a tarp in front of him.

"Ah!" Elrasla made a happy sound. "9 out 10 people who are first told this say something similar. In that case, perhaps a demonstration is in order?"

Naofumi did not look up from his work as Elrasla approached him. He had assumed that he wouldn't be included in her demonstration, an assumption that he soon came to regret as the tip of her pointer finger came to rest against the centre of his forehead. The Shield Hero blinked at the pointer finger, almost going cross-eyed trying center his gaze on it.

Then Elrasla curled her finger and flicked him in the forehead.

"Ah, fuck!" a swear and a yelp of pain escaped Naofumi as his head rocked back. The slight hit that by all rights shouldn't even have hurt an ordinary person, much less the Shield Hero, had made his head throb in pain. Moreover, Naofumi could feel the pain radiating from where he had been hit, some kind of vibration radiating outward from the impact zone and rattling his skull. Naofumi's eyes began to swim as he started to lose focus, and he cradled his head with both hands, moaning in pain.

"Master! Are you alright?!" Filo, who had been snacking on a treat Naofumi had made for her, rushed over.

"Elrasla! That was uncalled for!" Raphtalia rebuked.

Elrasla merely snorted at that. "Don't be silly, young lady. I have met people like the Holy Saint before. Stubborn to the extreme and perpetually sceptical. If I hadn't given him a first-hand taste of the capabilities of the Hengen Musou, he'd never been able to grasp and learn what I am offering to teach," she said before turning her eyes back to Naofumi. "Do you feel that, Holy Saint? That is one of the main uses of _Ki, _applied in the first form of Hengen Musou: point. It's a method that allows a user of Hengen Musou to attack around an opponent's Defence Stat. No matter how hardy the opponent or how sturdy their armor, a Hengen Musou user can bring them down."

"You don't say, you damn old bat," Naofumi moaned, still rubbing his head. Though understandably angry at what had just happened, the Shield Hero still found himself intrigued to learn it. Moreover… "So, in other words, there is a method that literally renders my strongest attribute moot. Fantastic," he said sarcastically.

"Don't worry, Holy Saint," Elrasla said, stepping back. "I and my son are the last practitioners of the Hengen Musou, and while there are other methods of attacking around an opponent's Defence Stat, those methods are few and far between. Moreover, if you are worried of opponents that can ignore Defence, as you rightly should, Hengen Musou will be the answer that you seek to those worries."

"What do you mean?" Naofumi questioned.

"It's fairly simple, Holy Saint," Elrasla shrugged. "Even if the methods might differ, all attacks that can ignore Defence do so in a similar manner: injecting energy into the opponent's interior, thereby doing damage from the inside out. Considering that, it stands to reason that you can render such attacks harmless if you can take control of the energy injected into you, and harmlessly expel it from your person before it can do any harm. With control of your own _Ki_, you can do just that."

"And," she continued, sweetening the deal. "I don't know if this is true or not, but in the old scriptures handed down to me by my teacher, it is said that _Ki_can be used to further empower a Hero's special Skills. Even if your nature as the Shield Hero were to prevent you from ever mastering Hengen Musou, learning to control your _Ki _will still be beneficial to you."

To Naofumi, it almost sounded like this _Ki _was another Strengthening Method that was separate from the Legendary Weapon system. It might even let him enhance the durability of Air Strike Shield and such. "…Fine," he grumbled sourly. "You win. I can see the value in this martial art of yours, though I'd have appreciated a less involved demonstration."

"Now where would the fun be in that?" Elrasla cackled.

Naofumi scowled thunderously at her. The glower that usually made people cower away in fear only elicited another chuckle from Elrasla.

"And what would learning Hengen Musou entail, exactly?" Shirou, who had been quietly listening up till now, questioned.

"Ah, good question," Elrasla nodded. "Besides the usage of _Ki_, the sheer adaptability of the Hengen Musou is the second factor that sets it apart from other martial arts."

"Adaptability?"

"The skills and techniques that make up the Hengen Musou can easily be applied to other martial arts," Elrasla elaborated. "That's why the Hengen Musou doesn't specialize in the use of a particular weapon. The trade-off will be having to master your weapon of choice, be that your fists or an actual weapon, separately. Once you have grasped the fundamentals of Hengen Musou, you can then apply them to your already existing abilities."

Shirou pondered that for a moment. "So, basically, to put it plainly, once we learn to manipulate our _Ki _and the basics of the Hengen Musou, we can then start learning to apply that energy and the skills that come with its use to our preferred fighting style?"

"Yes, that's it exactly!" Elrasla praised his deduction as a teacher would. "The Hengen Musou is not really a formal school of martial arts like most people think of it, but it's more a flexible concept that can be applied to any fighting style."

Raphtalia had been listening and nodding along during the conversation. Once they'd finished talking she decided to air one of her observations. "Then, the first step to learning Hengen Musou is learning to feel and control our _Ki_?"

"It seems I have been blessed with some astute students," Elrasla said, giving them all an appraising look. "You are, of course, correct, young lady. That is indeed the first step: learning to perceive one's own _Ki _and manipulating it. Unfortunately, that is also the hardest step toward learning Hengen Musou."

"And why is that, Old Lady?" unexpectedly, it was Filo who asked that.

Elrasla shrugged. "Because learning to perceive one's _Ki _doesn't come with any kind of _real_ instructions except for some general guidelines. The scriptures do not talk about and I cannot give it."

"Wait, what?" Naofumi asked, baffled. "But aren't you a master of the Hengen Musou? How can you not give any instructions about the very first step toward learning it?"

"That's because no two person's learn to perceive _Ki _in the exact same way. As everyone requires a different method to do so, me telling you how I did it would just set you down the wrong path," Elrasla explained. "The only universal thing to learning to perceive _Ki _is meditation. Meditation is required to build up your own sense of self, and once you have gained a sufficient sense of self, you will start gaining a sense of your _Ki _as well."

Now that wasn't vague as all hell, was it? "…I take it back," Naofumi said. "This martial art of yours once again sounds like quackery to me."

"Holy Saint, you'd be surprised how many people have said that to me, only to eat their words later," Elrasla tittered again,

From that day on, half an hour of meditation before sleep was added to the ever growing schedule of things to do each day. Though, honestly, meditating like that at the end of every day more often then not led them to falling asleep during it, exhausted as they were.

* * *

"Naofumi-sama, we're about to reach the next village," Raphtalia called from the driver's seat of the carriage. Filo was happily humming along as she pulled the carriage at a steady clip.

"I'll ready my things," the Shield Hero acknowledged and set the book on magic that he was reading aside, reaching for his potions, tools and ingredients.

After adding Elrasla to their party and setting out again, they had been traveling from village to village in the region that was afflicted by the unknown pandemic. They were still heading towards the general direction of Zeltoble, even if they'd been forced to slow down some, but Naofumi couldn't bring himself to consider it a waste of time. Elrasla's son had been right on the money that the people would be willing to pay top dollar for both his abilities and potions, and they had been racking it in ever since.

Moreover, the Shadows hadn't made their presence felt in some time now, not since meeting Elrasla. The old martial artist had admitted that she had felt the presence of people watching them multiple times during their journey so far, but they hadn't done anything hostile or underhanded yet. Naofumi didn't know why that was, but he was content to leave things as they were for now.

He was certain that the current peace wouldn't last, but so long as the Shadows didn't try anything, they could do nothing but remain on their guard.

Considering that, Naofumi found Elrasla's presence to be comforting.

But hell would freeze over before the contrarian man would ever admit that out loud.

"Ah," the guard stationed at the simple wooden fence that cordoned off the village perked up as he saw them approach. The man first focused on Filo, and then on Naofumi as he emerged from the carriage besides Raphtalia. Much to their surprise, the man quickly opened the gate and ushered the group through.

Naofumi's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion at this, and he signalled for Raphtalia to bring the carriage to a halt. "Don't stop, Holy Saint of the Legendary Bird!" the guard shouted at them as their carriage started to slow down. "There are many sick people in the village, family of mine included! Please, hurry to their aid!"

Naofumi blinked at hearing the moniker. He had been called a Holy Saint before, but the 'Holy Saint of the Legendary Bird' was a new one.

"There isn't anyone else around in the immediate area but us and this guard," Elrasla informed him from inside the carriage, muttering low enough that the guard couldn't hear them.

"Raphtalia, head on through," Naofumi, hearing that, decided to listen to the guard's plea. Still, he'd remained on his guard as he was won't to do.

The carriage headed past the gate, the guard shouting words of gratitude at them as they passed.

"I wonder what that was about," Shirou said from the back of the carriage where he was idly cleaning his sword. "That thing about the 'Holy Saint of the Legendary Bird'…"

"The people have already begun calling the Shield Hero a Holy Saint," Elrasla said with a shrug. "And Filo is a Filolial Queen. The name fits if nothing else."

"I wonder what they would call me if they knew who I actually am," Naofumi grumbled to himself, idly touching the Legendary Shield. People had been able to deduce before that he was the Shield Hero because of the fact that he only equipped a Shield. Because of that, said Legendary Shield had taken on a Weapon Form small enough to fit underneath the covering of his sleeve, hidden from sight.

"Useless speculation," Elrasla shook her head. "Let's just try and find the mayor's or village elder's house."

The old martial artist was correct. They would have to talk with the person in charge in order to set up and organize the situation, so that Naofumi could work his magic and heal people. Not to mention that they had to negotiate a deal first.

Seeing a space beside the deserted Inn where they could stow away their carriage, the group got out and Filo grumbled as she was unhooked from the carriage. To Naofumi's irritation, Filo decided to remain in her Filolial Queen form as they set out to search the village for its leader.

Following their now standard operating procedure, having done the same in the half a dozen villages they had visited before, they asked the few people out and about where the leader of this village lived. Said people eagerly informed them where they needed to go, all of them appearing elated that the 'Holy Saint of the Legendary Bird' had come to their village.

Everyone they talked to here seemed to have anticipated their arrival. Naofumi wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

They met with the leader, an elderly villager, that had similarly anticipated their arrival and had also taken the opportunity to draw up a Magical Contract in advance. The way Naofumi preferred doing business had similarly preceded them, it seemed.

Said contract had favourable conditions, so Naofumi had no problem signing it after reading the fine print thoroughly. "Thank you," the elderly villager said after they had both put their name down, rolling up the parchment and storing it away. "Now that's done, I'll instruct my people to gather the sick in a single place for treatment."

"I'll prepare my potions and materials, then," Naofumi grunted.

"Thank you, Holy Saint," the elderly villager nodded in thanks, then turned towards his similarly elderly wife. "Samantha, would you please take the Holy Saint and his companions to the farm at the edge of town where most of the sick are being kept? I'll head into the village and gather the sick that are still being kept at their homes."

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the farm. They were led towards a large barn on the property that was separated from the rest of the buildings. Inside, several beds were set up, all of them filled with ailing and coughing people. By Shirou's quick count, there were three dozen sick people being kept in here, and there were still more sick people in the village itself.

This was clearly the most affected village they had visited so far.

"Holy Saint," one of the people tending to the sick, a young lady wearing a simple mask, approached them. "Thank you so much for coming to our aid," she said, bowing profusely.

"Never mind that," Naofumi brushed off the woman's earnest actions. "I have all that I need to start treatments immediately," he said, as he cast his gaze over the sick in their beds. "Before I'd can begin though, we need to group the sick closer together."

"Group them closer together?" the woman repeated, nonplussed.

"Yes," Naofumi said, striding forward, the rest of his party already moving to do just that. He rolled up his sleeve. "Let's get to work."

* * *

"Filo, what are you doing?"

Shirou stepped out of the barn, having done all that he could to help treat the sick. As it had gotten rather crowded in there, Naofumi had suggested getting some fresh air while he finished treating the last of the patients. Honestly, he had wanted to stay inside and continue to help as he was won't to do, but as they were close to finished, his continued presence was unnecessary at best or distracting at worst. That led to him stepping outside, and witnessing a peculiar sight.

Filo, who had stepped outside after they had finished moving the beds filled with sick people, was standing close to an area cordoned off by a tall, wooden fence. Inside said fenced off area, where all of Filo's attention was focused, were domesticated monsters roaming about.

Domesticated filolials, to be precise. Both adults and chicks. And most of them were staring back at Filo with frightening intensity.

"Ah, Onii-chan," she said as though distracted, though she didn't take her eyes away from her fellow filolials. Her clawed feet scratched at the ground, as if she was barely holding back from jumping over the fence.

Filo's current behaviour, silent and apparently introspective, was most unlike her. Shirou had to wonder what she was thinking, staring at her fellow filolials that were being kept at this farm. Would she be angry, or melancholy that her kind were being kept here?

"Hmm," she hummed, licking her beak. "These birds look yummy, all fat and ripe. I am certain Master could cook them up good."

Shirou damn near face faulted. "Filo, you realize that these monsters are your own kind, right? What you just suggested is called cannibalism," he said, though thinking further on it, he questioned if any monster would even know or care about a concept like cannibalism?

"My own kind," she repeated, eyes widening a bit as she turned to look at him.

To Shirou's surprise, she suddenly looked a disturbed and a little sad, his words having hit her harder than he would have expected. Not sure what to do, he closed in and stood close by Filo, leaning on the fence and offering his silent support.

"Hey, Onii-chan. Do you know why Master picked me?" Filo suddenly asked.

Shirou blinked. "Picked you?"

"Yeah, why he picked _my_ egg out of all the others," Filo further clarified. "I'm really lucky he picked me. I don't remember much from before I hatched, but I do remember flashes. The people who had my egg before Master… they called me cheap."

"What?" Shirou let slip in surprise, and Filo elaborated at his urging.

Apparently, what little she could remember from before she was hatched, she came from two flightless filolials and she was supposed to be raised for her meat. Apparently, she'd been considered so cheap and below average, that all she had been good for was being chopped up for some jerky.

Until Naofumi picked her egg and changed everything for her.

Even if she hadn't imprinted on Naofumi, Shirou was fairly certain Filo still would have been utterly devoted to the Shield Hero. After all, he'd effectively saved her and given her a new lease on life with a random act.

…Just like Kiritsugu had done for him. Shirou was intimately familiar with the feelings such an act could inspire.

The only difference was that it wasn't an act of kindness. Naofumi had told him that he got Filo's egg from a gacha game, which meant that he had chosen Filo's egg at random. Naofumi had come to care for her as her own person, now that she actually was her own person, but at first, she had been meant as either another source of income, a beast of burden or a front-line fighter. It was just pure chance that Filo had gotten the chance at becoming something more than she had been meant to be.

And Now Filo wanted to know _why_ everything had changed for her. Why Naofumi had picked her out of all the options available to him, what worth he saw in her when she had been deemed 'cheap'.

He could lie, but that didn't sit well with him. Instead, Shirou told Filo the truth as he saw it.

"No one knew you would grow up to become a Filolial Queen, and to be honest, Naofumi didn't pick you for any particular reason. That is just how things happened to turn out." he said, before reaching out and placing his hand on her chest plumage. "But all of us are happy and content. Naofumi may not say it all that often, but he cares for you, as do I and all the others. Even if you had been cheap, if you had still become to be the same person you are now, we still would have cared for you, your so called worth be damned."

"Do you mean that, Onii-chan?" Filo looked at him with wide, soul-filled eyes.

"Of course. You're like the adorable, constantly happy little sister I can dote on that I never had," Shirou confirmed.

"Onii-chan!" Filo cried and, in a puff of smoke, assumed her human form. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around her neck and clinging to him gleefully.

Shirou smiled and hugged her back, happy at having made her happy.

Unnoticed to either of them, on the other side of the fenced off area, another group of three filolials were looking at Filo. They were outside the fence, and weren't part of the local herd being kept on this farm. The filolials were chittering urgently amongst themselves, constantly throwing glances at Filo, before they suddenly ran off.

If anyone would have been able to understand them, they would have heard the word 'Queen' come up regularly.

* * *

The Elderly Village Leader bowed towards them. Many of the healing sick and their family and friends were arrayed behind him, following their elders lead. They were at the edge of the village, Filo once more hooked up to the carriage, with their group about to set out again.

"Thank you for all that you have done, Holy Saint," the elderly village leader said, his fellow villagers also adding in words of thank.

"You don't have to thank me, you have already paid," Naofumi said.

"Ah, where will you be heading now, Holy Saint?" the elderly village leader unexpectedly asked.

"We're traveling towards Zeltoble. Now that we have visited and treated all the people in this region suffering from this pandemic, we'll now head straight for Zeltoble," Naofumi answered.

The Elderly Village Leader eyes widened a little. "Ah, excuse me, Holy Saint, I mean no disrespect, but there is still one village remaining where people are suffering from this affliction."

"Oh?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow from where he was sat in the driver's seat of the carriage. "Which village is that? From what I was told in the other villages, this was the last place with sick people."

"That's correct, Holy Saint, but only in _this _region," the Elderly Village Leader said. "If you're going to Zeltoble, and if you take a direct route, it will take you through the Dark Woods. There's a village of hunters in those woods, and this unknown pandemic has also found its way to them."

As Naofumi pondered that revelation, Shirou spoke up from within the carriage.

"Do you know if this disease has spread any further? Into Zeltoble?" Shirou questioned.

"Not as far as I am aware," the Elderly Village Leader said.

Naofumi shrugged. "We're heading in that direction anyway. It's no skin of my back to offer them my services when I am passing through."

"Thank you, Holy Saint, you're kindness truly knows no bounds. I have quite a few old friends living in that village, and the fact that you are going to their aid is heartening to hear," the Elderly Village Leader bowed again.

Naofumi was about to rebuff the elder's comment on his kindness, but at the last moment seemed to think better of it. "Take care," he said instead, and they set off a moment later.

Once they had left the premises, and they could no longer hear the villagers, Naofumi decided to ask a question. "So, what can you tell me about these Dark Woods and this village of hunters?" he asked Elrasla. Said martial artist was old and experienced, having seen and experienced much in her lifetime of adventuring and plain living. More often then not, she had useful information about, well, anything they asked, really.

"The Dark Woods is a large forest that acts as a natural border between Melromarc and Zeltoble. The monsters that make the Dark Woods their home run the gamut on how high their Levels are and how dangerous they are. In general, the more off the beaten path you tread, the more dangerous the monsters become," Elrasla began to explain. "Within the Dark Woods is but a single settlement: the village of S'warkii. It's the home of an old clan that has lived within the Dark Woods since time immemorial and has developed extensive and effective Beast Lore."

"Beast Lore?" Raphtalia asked.

"The art of hunting, understanding and taming wild monsters, or beasts as the hunters and huntresses of the Dark Woods call them," Elrasla elaborated. "The hunting and understanding of the monsters makes sense to me, even if I only able to use a facsimile of that knowledge, but I was never able to grasp the aspect of taming them and bending the monsters to your will. No matter how many times it was explained to me, that knowledge was just foreign to my mind."

"You sound like you know these hunters and huntresses personally," Shirou observed.

Elrasla chuckled. "Even in the village of S'warkii, there are precious few people capable of using the Beast Lore, but one of them is an old acquaintance of mine: a scoundrel of a man named. Z'aanta. He has his issues, but when it comes to hunting monsters and wielding a bow, the man is without equal."

"Will we encounter any problems going to this village?" Naofumi asked.

"The people of S'warkii live isolated lives and have a peculiar culture all their own, but they aren't hostile to outsiders," Elrasla answered. "On top of that, the monsters we will encounter on the way shouldn't be a problem for you at your current level of Skill and, well, Level. So long as we stay on the paths and don't go gallivanting off deeper into the forest then necessary, we should be fine."

"Good to know," Naofumi said.

The party fell silent as they started their journey towards the forests of the distant Woodlands.

* * *

They arrived at the borders of the Dark Woods a day and half later and unfortunately, Elrasla's words would be proven partially incorrect almost the very moment that they entered the Dark Woods.

"I can feel a lot of monster's around, Master," Filo said, even as she continued to trot down the path at a steady clip.

"You aren't the only one," Naofumi muttered, on edge. They'd entered the Dark Woods about fifteen minutes ago, and he'd become aware of several less than kind presences focusing on them the moment they did so. It was only natural that he'd become sensitive to the presence of monsters, as he had to seek them out and fight them on the daily.

And he wasn't the only one that was on high alert. Filo was equally tense, her feathers bristling. Shirou and Raphtalia both had their hands closed around the hilts of their swords, their raccoon ears twitching at every little sound and their tails puffed up and tense behind them.

The only one that was relaxed was Elrasla, but even she was alert and ready to act on a moment's notice if required. "Hmm, if Z'aanta was here," she began to muss. "He would say something like 'the balance of the forest has been thrown out of whack', or some other such rot like that."

"What do you mean?" Shirou asked, raccoon ears still twitching.

"In a forest filled with monsters like this, it would be inevitable we would get into a few scraps along the way," the martial artist answered. "But the fact that there are this many monsters so close to the edge of the forest, and that all of them are so quick to show their hostility… Something is wrong."

Almost immediately, the thought of the Shadows ever acting in the background set Shirou even more on edge. As did the others

They continued their path, remaining watchful, and tense the entire while, until-

"Holy Saint!" Elrasla warned, and dark shapes moved all around them.

"Meteor Shield!" without hesitation, Naofumi deployed his favorite Skill.

The force field of light encircled the carriage, snapping into existence in the blink of an eye. Several banging noises followed as several somethings struck the barrier in quick succession.

Filo came to a halt, and cut herself loose from the carriage. The others quickly piled out and looked at what had attacked them.

They were encircled. Furred creatures that stood on two legs were everywhere around them, even if they only were about the size of a ten year old child, standing on the soil while a few were high up in the trees. Large and sharp front teeth clicked as beady eyes focused on them like how a lion would on an injured, fat gazelle. Crude knives and bows were grasped in small, clawed hands, and makeshift armor adorned their legs and feet, curiously leaving their upper bodies exposed.

Arrows littered the ground around the Meteor Shield, the obvious source of the sudden, ineffectual attack.

**[Forest Ratkin Level 18]**

"Ratkin," Elrasla muttered in obvious distaste. "Most of them are weak little things, but they're crafty buggers that always attack in large groups. Be careful everyone. Even if weak, Ratkin always have a surprise or two in store if you aren't the one to attack them first."

"Staying inside the Meteor Shield would be best, then," Naofumi deduced, as that would give these Ratkin the least amount of chance of trying anything underhanded.

Not to mention the possibility of interference, from Shadows or otherwise.

Shirou drew his bow and pulled out a Steel Arrow, already knowing what his role in the coming battle would be. Raphtalia's Mithril Longsword made a sharp noise as she drew it and marched up to the very boundary of Meteor Shield. Filo concentrated, energy swirling around her as she prepared a spell. Elrasla remained close to Naofumi, but took a ready stance, positioned as if she was about to throw a punch. Naofumi equipped the Chimera Viper Shield, his free hand pulling out one of his many concoctions from his satchel.

The Ratkin attacked in the next breath.

Arrows pelted the Meteor Shield in a continues stream, even as the melee oriented fighters struck at the hard light barrier with their knives and claws in a staccato rhythm, ineffective though it was. The Meteor Shield was strong enough to stand up to the attacks of a Boss Monster. These monsters, who some would have charitably called mooks, would take several minutes of continues attacks in order to wear the barrier down.

That is, if they weren't interrupted in the meantime.

_Shing._

One of the Ratkin cried out, its death throes quickly being cut off in a wet gurgle, its lungs filling with blood. Raphatlia's sword had cut the Ratkin from hip to shoulder in a brutal diagonal cut, and the other Ratkin warbled in alarm and stumbled, obviously being caught off guard by the fact that their enemies could attack _through_ the barrier waylaying them.

_Shing. Shing. Shing. Shing. Shing._

Raphtalia swung her blade several times in quick succession, cutting down an equal amount of Ratkin before they had the chance to get out of range. Those that did opened enough distance that, if Raphtalia wanted to cut them down she would have to leave the safety of the Meteor Shield in order to do so.

But that wasn't to say that they were safe now.

_Twang. Twang. Twang._

"Faust Wind Sphere!"

A trio of Ratkin wielding bows fell from the tree branches, Steel Arrows having pierced vital areas, their own bows and unfired arrows falling with them. Shirou took full advantage of his increased draw speed his now much higher Level provided. And even if the hits were not fatal on their own, the fall would pancake the monsters regardless.

Another bow wielding Ratkin in the trees widened its beady eyes as it saw its compatriots abruptly die, but that was all the time it had. Firo's spell ploughed into the monster's forehead, blowing its top clean off in a shower of sickening gore. The corpse unceremoniously fell to the earth.

Shirou and Filo didn't let up. Working together they targeted all long range oriented Ratkin that were up in the trees. Arrows pierced flesh and armor alike like tissue paper, and swirling spheres of piercing winds punched holes through bodies or blew extremities clean off.

And that was far from all the Ratkin's woes.

"Hengen Musou, Hidden Technique!" Elrasla intoned, eyes sharp and body taut. "Bullet!"

The Martial artist punched the air in rapid succession, chaining several dozen punches together in the time frame of several breaths. With every punch, a barely visible ripple disturbed the air, soaring forwards like the technique's namesake. These ripples moved so quickly that none of the Ratkin had the time to react, the ripples, these so called Bullets, struck their body, doing no visible damage, even if every Ratkin struck screamed in pain and, if hit in their center mass, invariably spat up copious amounts of blood.

In one breath to the next, she had outpaced Shirou's, Filo's and Raphtalia's combined kill count.

If Naofumi were to hazard a guess, those ripples were the energy Elrasla spoke of. And by the looks of it, it was damn effective if nothing else.

Faced with such overwhelming opposition, and the Meteor Shield rendering their own attacks all but useless, not to mention making their favored underhanded methods and tactics unusable, the horde of Ratkin fell into disarray. The small army of monstrous rats fled, in a disorganized mess, falling over and trampling each other as they ran back into the (questionable) safety of the forest, even as steel tipped arrows, spheres of piercing of wind and ripples of energy continued to reap a bloody toll from their number.

A minute later, the forest fell silent again, the short-lived battle over. Only the blood, gore and spent arrows littering the ground was prove of the sudden conflict that had just occurred.

"That takes care of that," Naofumi said, though he didn't drop the Meteor Shield. In fact, considering his paranoid tendencies, no one was surprised when he refreshed the force field.

"I was must say, Holy Saint, when it comes to setting the pace of a battle, your abilities are top notch," Elrasla said. "When fighting Ratkin, being faced with a multitude of underhanded tactics is a matter of course, but this handy barrier of yours shut all of that down before they even got the chance to use their preferred methods."

Naofumi grumbled something underneath his breath.

"He means thank you," Raphtalia said, giving the Shield Hero a pointed look.

"Yeah! Master is a real softy inside!" Filo added the none-sequitur, and Naofumi turned to look at the Filolial with irritation and bewilderment.

Shirou held back a snort. In that moment, Naofumi looked remarkably like a grumpy dog.

Elrasla chuckled before growing serious again. "That said the fact that we won the fight doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet."

"Uhm…"

"I didn't mean it as a pun!" Elrasla quickly added, realizing her mistake and blushing.

Shirou raised an eyebrow at her. "You were saying something about us still being in danger?"

"Yes," Elrasla coughed. "Ratkin come in several different varieties, but they all search one universal trait: vindictiveness. I won't say it's guaranteed, but chances are that we haven't seen the last of the buggers…"

"Wonderful," Naofumi said sarcastically.

"That just means we'll have to remain on guard," Raphtalia pointed out. "And really, we would have done that anyway."

"True," Naofumi conceded. "Let's just get the drops and go."

Naofumi quickly absorbed all the slain Ratkin into his Legendary Shield.

"No matter how many times I see that, I still find it odd," Elrasla muttered.

"You get used to it eventually," Shirou assured.

They piled back into the carriage and hooked Filo up. And with that, they were off again.

* * *

In spite of Elrasla's cautioning words they arrived at S'warkii two hours later without further incident. Well, no incident related to Ratkins, at least. They still had about a dozen scraps with a variety of monsters on the way there, but nothing really significant. The monsters in question just ended up as feed for the Legendary Shield.

They road into town, briefly being stopped by a guard - more of a lookout really, since there wasn't a gate or anything like that – before entering proper.

Much like all the other villages they had visited before, it was quiet, virtually all people hiding in their homes. The buildings themselves were a bit smaller and rustic looking, adorned with a variety of animal hides and paraphernalia, but it the village looked mostly the same as the other villages. Except, of course, the fact that it was built smack-dab in the middle of a forest, tall trees surrounding the little hamlet and throwing shadows everywhere.

"Well, we're here," Naofumi said, releasing breath. "Let's go look for whoever is in charge."

"I see a pretty big house over there, Master," Filo pointed with her wing to a relatively large house in the middle of the village.

They left the carriage behind near the Inn – both Naofumi and Shirou were surprised that such a small village hidden away in the woods even had an Inn – and headed to the presumed house of said leader of S'warkii.

When they'd arrived, they were surprised to see a woman standing by the door. And even though the door was closed, going by her moving mouth and motions, she was holding a conversation with a person beyond said door. It was probably because of the pandemic.

What was more eye raising, though, was the white, grey and black coloured feline that was lounging at the feet of the woman, stretching luxuriously across the ground.

Unbidden, Shirou's eyes focused on the feline, his Status Magic triggering.

**[Snow Leopard Tyrant Lv: 38]**

Like the name implied, the feline looked like a snow leopard, but it was much bigger than it had any right to be, tiger-sized as it was. It's fur was white, with grey streaks and black rosettes. As it yawned, it revealed a mouth with sharp fangs and massive dagger like incisors, equally large claws adorning its feet. A long tail swished lazily behind it, decorated with a single purple feather.

Its eyes had been closed in relaxation and contentment, curled up on the ground as it was, but they drifted open as the feline noted their approach. Suddenly alert, the slit, bright yellow eyes focused on them with all the intensity an apex predator could muster.

The woman it was lounging besides noticed them at almost the exact same moment as the feline did. She turned towards them, eyes equally as sharp as the massive leopard.

Said eyes were a piercing green, and she had messily braided light brown hair. The greying fur of some monster was wrapped around her neck and hung to the small of her back, like a large scarf. She was clad in a form fitting beige shirt, made from the skin of a monster, black pants, grey boot-warmers, and brown gloves on both arms. Feather earrings were attached to her ears and flapped in the light breeze. A belt encircled her waist, and to the buckles of said belt were attached arrowheads, and a full quiver. Her face, while young – they'd guess the woman was in her early twenties – was sharp and full of focus.

And as they were watching her as they approached, she was studying them intently, sharp green eyes drilling into them.

"Can I helpen thee?" the woman asked, speaking in the same odd way the lookout had when they'd entered the village. The woman's eyes briefly darted to Filo, narrowing imperceptibly.

"We would like to speak to whoever is in charge here," Naofumi said gruffly.

"For what purpose?" the woman asked. By her feet, the Snow Leopard Tyrant had not blinked since the moment it had noticed them. It eyes seemed to focus Filo, who stared back without blinking.

"I'm a traveling Apothecary, and these are my companions. I would like to speak to the leader in this village and offer my services," Naofumi explained.

"Ah," the woman's eyes widened, nodding. "I see'en. In that case, I can guarantee that the head hunter woulded indeed speaken with thee and thine companions…"

"Indeed, I woulded," an older voice said, and the door opened. A grizzled odd man clad in furs and bone implements stepped out.

The female hunter took a few steps aside, giving the apparent leader of the village the space needed to step outside and face the group. The Snow Leopard Tyrant followed her, slinking gracefully.

"You aren an Apothecary, you say," the Old Hunter said.

"I am."

"Ye any good?"

"I believe so, and the people I helped on the way here were of the same mind," Naofumi snorted, and contrary to what most people would have thought, he actually appreciated the Old Hunter's gruff manners. It made getting down to business easier and quicker.

"Hmm," the Old Hunter hummed in thought, his eyes idly drifting over the group, only to freeze as they landed on Elrasla.

Said old martial artist noticed and gave the Old Hunter a cheeky wave. "Ah, remember me, old chap? Even if it's been a decade or three since last I visited, and we were never particularly close...?"

"You aren…Z'aanta's old companion."

To the side, the female hunter's eyes widened, and the ears of the Snow Leopard twitched.

"Oh, does the scoundrel still speak of me from time to time?" Elrasla asked.

"Sometimes," the Old Hunter confirmed.

"Only good things, I presume?"

"Sometimes," the Old Hunter repeated, an amused tilt to his voice.

Elrasla chuckled a little. "That sounds like him. Stalwart though he was during a hunt, and a fight, his manners and actions outside of that left something to be desired. But then again, I wouldn't have it any other way. It was much more amusing like that. Speaking of which, has that man finally mastered the art of staying out of debt?"

"No, though try he might, thee skill continues to eluden him to this day."

That elicited another chuckle, and a rueful, amused shake of the head from Elrasla.

"So, where is the man? I can't imagine him hiding away in his home, regardless of the sickness," she asked.

"Master is currently out on a hunt, in a distant land," the woman standing off to the side said.

Elrasla raised her brow, her lips curling up into a smile. "Hoh-hoh! Master, you say? I last spoke with Z'aanta over two decades ago. At the time, he'd mentioned something about having taken in a young lass who had lost her parents. That would be…"

"Me," the huntress confirmed, nodding. "H'aanit is mine name. And this is my partner, Linde," she said, reaching down to scratch the Snow Leopard Tyrant at her feet behind the ears. "And ye are Elrasla, a martial artist and an old traveling companion of Master. Master has mentioned thee from time to time…"

"Only good things, I presume?" Elrasla asked the question for a second time with a cheeky grin.

"I'd be lying if I said yes, but I can repeaten only the good things if thee would liken," H'aanit answered with exasperated amusement and fondness.

"So honest, and so proper," Elrasla chuckled again. "To think that scoundrel of a man could raise such a fine young woman like yourself. I wouldn't have believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Yes, yes. This is all very heart-warming," Naofumi cut in, annoyed, ignoring the way Shirou gave him a reproachful look. "But we're here on business."

"Ah, excusen me," H'aanit bowed her head in apology. "I wasn't my intention to waste thine time. I'll be on mine way, then."

"Forgive the Holy Saint's brusque manners, child," Elrasla said, shaking her head. "We're indeed here on business, and only passing through at that, but the Holy Saint would do well to learn to be more patient. That said, I'm sure he won't mind we having a little chat before we depart again. I would love to learn what that scoundrel has been up to since last I saw him."

H'aanit raised an eyebrow, looking at the so called 'Holy Saint', who looked on in annoyance at how Elrasla was speaking about him. "I would liken that. I would also liken to hear any…interesting tales ye might have of Master…"

"Please, child, I would have told you those stories even if you hadn't asked for them," Elrasla smiled a smile full of malice. "Z'aanta, prideful man that he is, would never tell about his mistakes and embarrassing anecdotes. It's my duty as an old friend to correct this error of his, and besides, as it seems that Z'aanta has been saying less than kind things about me over the years, I think turn around is only fair, right?

H'aanit's expression was curious mix of amused, exasperated and fond. It answered Elrasla's question in a way words could not.

"I'm staying at Master's house while he is away," H'aanit said. "I trusten thee knows where Master's house is?"

"If he hasn't moved in the last two decades, then yes."

"He hasn't," H'aanit confirmed. "I looken forwards to thine visit," she said nodding a farewell to all of them, before leaving, Linde following at her heels.

Naofumi grumbled something under his breath about wasting time and meddlesome old women. He turned back to the Old Hunter. "Shall we get to business, then?"

The Old Hunter nodded and gestured for them to enter his house. "Aye, we shall."

* * *

"Next!"

The teenager carried his visibly improved father, an old burly man you didn't think even had in him to get sick, away, even as both of them thanked Naofumi profusely. Similarly, the group of sick people that had been crowding around them had also improved. The healing people, were switched out with more of the sick, and the process continued.

S'warkii was the smallest village they had visited so far, but there were still a few sick people' in need of treatment. This unnamed pandemic really was virulent, even if it wasn't particularly dangerous. That said, Naofumi had been busy administering his potions for well over an half an hour or so, and now there were only two or three groups remaining. After that, they would be done here.

Raphtalia and Shirou were helping carrying people, placing them in tight groupings around the Shield Hero so that his Skills could have maximum effect. Filo, having taken on her human form, was milling about looking bored. Elrasla had left as soon as she'd done her part to help, going off on her promised visit with H'aanit.

Since Elrasla had been gone for little less than an hour, he imagined they were having a productive little discussion. Naofumi had never met this Z'aanta, but for some reason he felt an inordinate amount of pity for the man.

Putting aside said feelings for now, he focused on his works. And fifteen minutes later they were done treating the last of the sick, the group being left alone in the center of the village.

"That's that," Raphtalia said, washing her hands in a nearby bucket.

"Good work everyone," Naofumi said. "Now we just need to collect the reward and we can continue on to Zeltoble."

"Hold on, Holy Saint."

They turned to look where the voice came from. Elrasla and H'aanit were making their way towards them, Linde slinking in their shadow. Moreover, there was a nondescript man walking beside them, wearing clothes that were a cut above the average villager and, much to Shirou's and Naofumi's surprise, a fedora cap.

Shirou, admittedly, never played many videogames, but even he had good idea where this was going.

"Holy Saint, I've been told that thee and thine companions are capable warriors," H'aanit began with no preamble. "If true, I would liken to make use of thine services."

"I guess there is a story behind this?" Naofumi crossed his arms.

"There is," the nondescript man spoke up. "The Dark Woods is a popular route for merchants and trade caravans traveling between Zeltoble and Melromarc, and because of that it sees a lot of traffic year round, but the last two trade caravans leaving off from my Lord's lands never even made it to S'warkii."

"Hmm. Bandits, or monsters?" Naofumi asked. Either was a viable option.

"A monster, I'm afraid," the nondescript man said. "Just this morning, the two survivors of the last trade caravan - a merchant and one of his companions - came limping back towards my Lord's manor in a frightful state. Their story is…less than encouraging."

The man's voice was heavy with words unspoken. They continued to listen in silence.

"The trade caravan had been waylaid by the monster, and the two were the only survivors."

"How dost thou knowen this beast was responsible?" H'aanit questioned.

"My Lord Ciaran's scholars were called upon to investigate the matter," the nondescript man in the fedora cap continued to explain. "From the merchant's testimony, they'd concluded that the caravan was attacked by a monster known as a Ghisarma."

"I know of the kind of monster you are speaking. I've fought one or two in my lifetime," Elrasla said, rubbing her chin in thought. "But I've only encountered such monsters in distant lands nowhere near close to either Melromarc or Zeltoble. What in the nine hells is a Ghisarma doing in these lands?"

"I, too, have hearde of this kind of beast," H'aanit mused out loud. "Its presence woulded be an ill fit for the Dark Woods, having abandoned its home."

"This state of affairs must be brought to a resolution, as fast as possible. Both the safety of my Lord's subjects and any would be travellers or merchants depend on it," the nondescript man said. "And so, we turn to the most capable hunter in the village. In Master Z'aanta's absence, that would you, H'aanit. But we also seem to have the good fortune that S'warkii is currently playing host to group of capable adventurers."

The nondescript man bowed his head to all of them in a show of sincerity.

"So, I ask of you all, will you help rid the Dark Woods of this menace?"

"Tellen thine Lord I shan't faile him," H'aanit offered her support immediately.

"What's in it for us?" Naofumi groused.

Behind him, Raphtalia sighed and Shirou face palmed.

"Wow, you just ruined the moment, Master," Filo, of all people, said it out loud.

Naofumi ignored the peanut gallery and stared at the nondescript man.

"You need not worry. Lord Ciaran is a wealthy man, and he rewards handsomely those who do him a good service," the nondescript man said, taking hold of a pouch tied to his belt. Unfastening the rope that held it shut, he dumped the pouch's contents into his open palm.

More than a few eyebrows were raised.

Half a dozen gold coins glinted in the sparse sunlight.

"If you agree to aid us, you can split the reward however you like."

"…Why does your Lord offer such a large reward for killing but a single monster?" Naofumi asked, his paranoia rearing its ugly head. He hadn't yet hunted down monsters for a reward, but he was certain that such a large sum of money was rather atypical.

"Besides wishing to keep his people safe, this Ghisarma is also a threat to the economic stability of Lord Ciaran's land's," the nondescript man said. "The constant influx of merchants and coin that the trade route between Melromarc and Zeltoble provides, not mentioning the taxes that result from it, forms a large part of my Lord's yearly revenue. Compared to that, offering a few measly gold coins in order to ensure the stability of said revenue is but a small price to pay."

Naofumi grunted at the explanation. He could believe that. It was certainly easier to believe that this Lord Ciaran would offer so much in such a scenario, and not only out of the goodness of his heart.

"Holy Saint, will thee and thine companions aiden me?" H'aanit asked. "I knoweth precious little about this beast, but what little I knoweth tells me that it is a frightful adversary."

"Even if it means splitting the reward?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow.

"I, as do most people of S'warkii, caren little about monetary rewards. If ye desire the entirety of Lord Ciaran's reward, I'd gladly offeren it all to you if it woulded securen thine help."

In the face of such sincerity, Naofumi could give only one response. "…Fine, we'll help," he grumbled a little.

"Thanken thee," H'aanit bowed her head. "Linde has judgeth thee and thine worthy. It is not often that she warmeth to strangers. Knowing that thee will aiden me puts mine worries about the coming battle to rest."

Naofumi looked at the lounging snow leopard by H'aanit's feet, who gazed lazily back at him. He wasn't quite certain how to feel about being judged by a monster, or how much stock one could put on the thoughts and opinions of said monster.

He wasn't all that kind, and de certainly didn't consider himself all that worthy…

But if H'aanit considered it enough, then he would just accept it. He nodded and held out his hand in sealing the deal sort of way. H'aanit shook it firmly.

"One question, though," Shirou unexpectedly spoke up, looking at the nondescript man. "If the last two trade caravans were destroyed before making it to S'warkii, how did you get here in one piece all on your own? You weren't just lucky, were you..?"

All of them turned to their eyes towards the nondescript man. Especially Naofumi was suddenly wary.

The nondescript man smiled. "Lord Ciaran is a collector of arcane artifacts both old and new, and he isn't adverse to lending those artifacts out if the situation warrants it. Artifacts of power, of speed, of stealth…"

As the man talked, he idly played with a ruby necklace fastened around his neck.

Hmm, Shirou narrowed his eyes. That warranted following up on.

* * *

"…Spirits haven mercy," H'aanit murmured.

After having hashed out the details with Lord Ciaran's messenger, not to mention collecting their reward for aiding the people of S'warkii, they had immediately set out. H'aanit and Linde joined them on the carriage as they headed towards the location they had been informed where the last trade caravan had met its end.

That place happened to be somewhere close to the halfway point between S'warkii and Lord Ciaran's lands, which were a part of Zeltoble.

What they found there was nothing less than carnage, in every sense of the word.

Filo brought the carriage to a halt without any prompting as they came upon the scene: pockmarked ground, carriages smashed down to kindling, and mauled beyond recognition human bodies laying all over. Wherever they looked, blood coated everything.

Silent as the grave, they piled out of the carriage and surveyed the scene. All of them had seen some less than wholesome things in their lives, no matter how young or old they were, but not a single one of them could look at such a scene of carnage and not be brought to pause.

"This was not done in the name of survival," H'aanit continued. "This Ghisarma, it did not seeken food, but sport…and wanton slaughter. This was but a show, a demonstration of sorts, declaring itself the master of the Dark Woods."

Besides her, Linde crouched down, looking ready to pounce, and growled into the shadows ahead. All of them tensed up, readying themselves.

Paradoxically, H'aanit relaxed as a duo of wolf-like monsters emerged.

**[Forest Wolf LV: 21]**

Even though Naofumi realized these were not their target, he nonetheless stepped forward, ready to defend if necessary. Only to pause in confusion as H'aanit raised her arm and stopped him.

"…I see thou tremblest, little ones. Thine hearts are fillede with fear," the huntress said and crouched down, beckoning the wolves over.

"What is she…" Shirou was about to step forward, but Elrasla's hand on his arms stopped him.

"You, and H'aanit, have nothing to fear," Elrasla said. "Didn't I already tell you? The Beast Lore of the hunters of S'warkii is without compare."

After a moment, the wolves approached slowly. They slinked up to H'aanit, taking in her scent, even as Linde watched them like a hawk. Much to the surprise of everyone but Elrasla, H'aanit reached out and touched both wolves, and they immediately relaxed, totally calm and subdued.

"Thou both witnessedst what the beast did," H'aanit murmured. "Patience, little ones. We have been callen on to taken care of this menace. Wilt thou protect the bodies of these innocents, friends, until our return?"

With perfect seriousness, H'aanit made a ludicrous request of wild monsters. Nonetheless, no matter how counter to their nature, the wolves laid down, eyes trained on the deceased. But there was no sign of hunger, of the intent of ripping into the bodies and consuming their meat, only attentiveness, as if they were really standing guard as requested.

H'aanit nodded and stood up. "…I haven picked up the Ghisarma's track. Followen me. It cannot have gotten far."

Withholding their questions, they followed after the huntress, leaving the main path behind and heading down one of the smaller side paths. They were silent for a good five minutes as they walked, before someone spoke up.

"Uhm, Ms. H'aanit? How did you..?" Raphtalia began.

"I'm afraide it woulded do thee little good if I weren to explain," H'aanit said, Linde stalking beside her. "None of you possess the nature required."

"Nature?"

"An innate skill, an inborn talent, a certain way of viewing the world," H'aanit rattled off. "It is not something that can be taught. Thee muste be born with necessary traits and disposition, otherwisen the Beast Lore willen be foreign to thine mind. Even amongst the people of S'warkii, precious few can learne and put the knowledge to usen."

"Like magic? Because of one's Origin and Element?" Shirou questioned.

"Similar, yes, but somewhat different, even if I believen the root cause to be the same," H'aanit answered.

They fell into silence again, walking on deeper into the forest. They walked silently for over ten minutes, and only then they begin to notice how quiet it was, or how odd it was they had yet to meet any hostile monsters.

"Everyone, look closely," Shirou murmured, his sharp eyes darting in every direction, looking into the shadows of the forest. At his urging they did, and only then did they notice that hidden in the shadows of the underbrush of the forest laid the remains of many slain monsters. Dozens of them, of every variety, in every direction.

Naofumi felt the urge to absorb them in his shield but held back. He could take his time to do so after they had dealt with this Ghisarma.

"Thee haven sharp eyes," H'aanit praised as she continued to lead them deeper into the forest. "Yes, it is as thee fears. To eaten, to be eaten…this is the fate – and privilege – of any beast. A life for a life, so it has been seen the dawn of time. But to slayen for sport is to betrayen to law of nature."

"Beasts breeden quickly. They are born, grow, fight, feeden on one another, grow stronger, only to be slain and becomen food for another. Often in a matter of days. Because of this, it truly taken action beyond bounds to upset said balance, as by its nature it is robust beyond measure. But this Ghisarma has already done so, in frightening little time," H'aanit said gravely.

"Upset the balance," Shirou repeated, remembering what Elrasla said earlier. "The Ratkin…"

"Yes, thee aren correct," H'aanit said. "Elrasla tolde me about thine encounter with the Ratkin earlier today, about their ambush and immediate, uncharacteristic aggression. That is the fault of the Ghisarma, its actions haven upsetten the balance of the forest, with the beasts that callen the Dark Woods home have been thrown into disarray by the unmitigated violence. Killede by the dozens, driven from their home territories. Is it any surprise that the beasts of these forests have turnede aggressive to any and all?"

"This all sounds like hogwash to me. All this nonsense about balance and whatnot," Naofumi mused.

"Then thee shoulded open thine mind more, Hero of the Shield."

Naofumi tensed, narrowing his eyes.

H'aanit chuckled. "It is no greaten mystery how I knowen thee identity. Elrasla merely told me earlier beforen we setten out on this quest."

"And why would she do that?" Naofumi, none too pleased, turning to look at Elrasla.

Said martial artist shrugged. "Why shouldn't I? When Lord Ciaran's messenger came along and began to tell about the situation, I figured it would be better of H'aanit knew who exactly she'd be working with. In battle, knowing the capabilities of your allies is paramount. The fact that you are the Shield Hero is rather important, and informs one of what your role will be during combat. And although, I haven't known her for long, she has proven to be of excellent moral fibre. I saw no reason to hush up your identity, Holy Saint."

"Thee haven no reason to worry, Hero of the Shield. You haven already proven to me that you're a kind person, and as you are aiden me, there is no reason for me to backstab you. I willen not speak about thine true identity," H'aanit assured.

Naofumi grumbled something beneath his breath, before shaking his head. "Fine, but next time, Elrasla, please run these things by my first."

"Will do, Holy Saint."

They continued their trek through the woods, following a path only H'aanit could follow. They had long since stepped off the path. During their walk, Naofumi had idly revealed his shield and equipped the Chimera Viper Shield. And as they walked, no monsters appeared to bar their path.

Honestly, that was more unnerving than anything else.

"It is close," H'aanit announced, and both Shirou's and Raphtalia's raccoon ears twitched as suddenly the sound of bestial roars and battle reached them. "Let's moven!"

They picked up their pace, sprinting and mentally preparing themselves for the coming battle.

The group crashed through several bushes, and emerged into a clearing. A pack of monstrous wolves prowled in said clearing, half their number already laying slain, and the prowling wasn't being done in an effort to appear menacing or attack, but to keep their distance and hopefully find an opening to escape from the enemy they were facing.

And said enemy was advancing on them like the apex predator it was. It was a large quadrupedal monster that was over ten feet tall, even on all fours, and it looked faintly like a rabbit. Black fur grew along its back and curved tail, leaving the rest of its body exposed and revealing noxious looking purple skin. All four of its limbs were long and gangly looking, rather monkey-like, and only they were positioned like how a frog would. Its head hung low, bulging red eyes with small black pupils darting around in their sockets, and rabbit-like ears, folded downward, twitched rampantly. Droll dripped out of its mouth, said cavern filled with rows upon rows of needle like teeth.

**[Ghisarma LV: 40]**

The Ghisarma was about to pounce on its prey, but was halted from doing so as an arrow struck the ground in front of it, announcing the presence of the new arrivals. It turned to look and its eyes came to focus on a huntress on the prowl.

"Unacceptable," H'aanit announced, stepping forward and lowering her bow. "Leave, friends. We willen taken care of this beast."

The monstrous wolves whimpered, and they took the chance to slink away into the shadows of the forest. The Ghisarma showed no inclination of following, apparently having found its new opponents much more delicious prey to hunt.

"Thou scaren me not, beast," H'aanit said lowly as the Ghisarma growled menacingly at them.

As if insulted, and to show H'aanit that she should fear it, the Ghisarma launched itself forwards. And launch was indeed the correct word. The position and form of its limbs were not just for show. One second, it was still and stationary. The next, it was in H'aanit's face, needle like teeth bared and ready to maul her.

_BONG!_

Only to bounce off Naofumi's shield, the Shield Hero having stepped in front of the huntress. As he'd been standing right next to her from the start, his customary position at the front of their formation, it was easy for him to do so. That said, even if he had solidly deflected Ghisarma's attack, the Legendary Shield rang like a temple bell in his hands, and his feet slid back from the sheer force he had been struck with.

Naofumi held back a groan, both at the vibrations traveling up his arms into his body, and the sudden realization that the Ghisarma was probably the most powerful monster they had met so far.

Lovely, he thought. For a moment, Naofumi felt annoyed at his own sarcasm, even if it was only in his own head.

H'aanit hadn't even flinched. "Thou scaren me not, beast. Or shoulded I sayen, scaren child," she said and nocked an arrow, the string releasing a clear sound as it was pulled taut. "Come, beast. Leten put an end to thine long, sadden story."

* * *

The Ghisarma wasn't, compared to the previous foes they had faced, in any way special. It did not have the Skills of the Spear Hero, or anything equivalent. It did not have the weaponry and armor the Zombie Giants were equipped with. It didn't have the ability the fly, or use magic, like the Green Fire Queen Ant could. It did not possess the lightning fast reflexes of the Blotted Viper. Nor was it as terrifying to face as the Two Headed Black Dog.

What the Ghisarma did have, however, was its unmatched speed, which was far greater than any opponent they had faced so far, and the resultant ability to do massive damage with its sheer bulk.

The ground underneath the monster cratered a little as it pushed off, and in the blink of an eye it had crossed the distance.

Naofumi reacted instantly. "Meteor Shield! Everyone, move!"

The force field snapped into existence, and everyone heeded the Shield Hero's command, knowing what was about to happen. If Naofumi ordered them to move, then…

_CRASH!_

With a sound reminiscent of shattering glass, the Meteor Shield buckled immediately in the face of the Ghisarma's charge. It crashed through it, barely slowing down, but it bought enough time for all of them to scatter in every direction.

"Faust Wind Sphere!"

Filo spat a condensed sphere of piercing wind into the Ghisarma's side as it passed them by, unable to stop its charge. Blood erupted as it struck home, but it did little real damage.

"Ugh! it's skin is tough, Master!"

Besides speed, the Ghisarma was also deceptively graceful and dexterous. It landed vertically on the length of one of the massive trees that made up the Dark Woods, using its limbs to swing around and launch back towards its prey without losing any speed whatsoever.

"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi cast the ethereal shield in front of the Ghisarma's chosen target, Raphtalia.

Again, the Skill shattered immediately on impact, but it did buy Raphtalia enough time to dodge the Ghisarma's massive bulk.

Shirou put away his bow, the monster moving too quickly for him to make an accurate shot. Instead, he drew his sword and set his stance, the hope that the Ghisarma would pick him as the next enemy to go after brushing against his consciousness.

It seemed the monster was willing to comply. Using another tree as a springboard, the Ghisarma set upon them again, this time having chosen Shirou as its target.

"Shield Prison!"

The sphere of overlapping shields was barely finished forming before the Ghisarma bulldozed straight through it.

Of course, Shirou had used the time Naofumi's action had bought to dodge, but only by a few inches. He swung his sword, timing it at just the right moment, and the blade sliced a deep and long gash into the Ghisarma's side as it passed by him, the demi-human using the monster's own momentum and speed against it.

Elrasla, having seen the trajectory the Ghisarma had taken, had set herself in the monster's path and took a stance: legs bent, arm pulled back, and muscles taut.

The Ghisarma roared, pissed off at the pain and its constant failed attacks, and sets its sight on the target that had oh so helpfully offered itself to be devoured.

Big mistake.

"Old Lady! What are you-!?"

"Hengen Musou, Hidden Technique," Elrasla intoned, energy visibly rippling and swirling around her pulled back arm and fist. "Lance!"

The Ghisarma was in her face.

Elrasla's hips twisted, her arm snapping forward like a coiled viper striking, her wrist twisting as she performed a picture perfect straight punch. An iridescent glow surrounded her fist, _Ki _packed into it to the bursting, and it landed square on the Ghisarma's jaw with the same sound as a car running into a brick wall.

And that was more or less what happened.

The ground shattered underneath her feet, but Elrasla, somehow, someway, held her ground, even as there was the sickening sound of bones snapping.

The Ghisarma howled through its broken jaws, rearing back. More importantly, for the first time since the battle started, the Ghisarma was no longer moving or darting around, stationary in front of Elrasla.

_Capitalize. _

Acting immediately, Naofumi flung one of his concoctions. The glass bottle shattered against the side of the Ghisarma's head, releasing the yellow powder, the paralyzing agent setting in. In the very next moment, static yellow electricity danced up and down the monster's body, locking-up its muscles.

The others saw the opportunity for what it was and struck with deadly intent.

H'aanit's arrows punched into and through the hide of the Ghisharma. Raphtalia's Mithril Longsword plunged into the Gisarma's side, taking advantage of the long gash Shirou had already inflicted. Shirou rammed his blade into one of the Ghisarma's hindlegs, targeting and piercing the joint of its knee. Elrasla had not stopped attacking after stopping the Ghisarma in its tracks, fists and legs continually whipping around and pounding into its flesh with brutal hit after brutal hit, her _Ki _based attacks ignoring the Ghisarma's leathery skin and doing damage from within.

And Filo? She was concentrating, both in the sense of her magic power and the strength in her legs, the ground underneath her starting to warp and buckle.

"High Quick!" she announced, exploding forwards, going even faster than the Ghisarma had been a moment ago. She jumped and kicked with all her might, the sheer momentum she had been moving at giving her enough force to produce the noise of bones breaking as she struck.

That was a new one, a new spell Filo had never shown them before, one that dramatically increased her speed as she attacked. They wondered when she'd learned it, but now wasn't the time to ask. More importantly, it proved to be effective as the Ghisarma's pained howls rose to a fever pitch and the monster tipped over, landing on its side and writhing in pain.

"Great! Good job, Filo!" Naofumi enthused. "Now, let's finish it-!"

"Holy Saint!" Elrasla shuddenly shouted, a warning wrapped in a sense of panic.

Arrows burst from the foliage in every direction, even from above, encircling them in a quickly closing hail of fire.

"Meteor Shield!"

Which made it highly convenient that Naofumi, the Shield Hero, was present.

The barrier snapped into existence around them, quick enough that only a handful of arrows made it through, the rest bouncing off harmlessly of the hard light surface. The few that did make it to their targets were easily dodged.

"What the hell! How the hell did they manage to sneak up on us! Old Lady, I thought you were on top of this?!"

The leaves on the bushes and trees rustled, and Ratkin emerged from the forest, dozens of them. But that took a backseat. The arrows that had been fired, their shafts that all had some kind of black beads attached to them, had started to release putrid black smoke from said beads, both from the arrows that had been blocked and the few arrows that had managed to get inside the Meteor Shield.

"It's poison!" Elrasla recognized. "Cover your mouth with some cloth!"

"Never mind that!" Naofumi countered, several potion bottles manifesting from his shield. "Here, drink these Antidotes! They should make us invulnerable to poison for at least ten minutes!"

They did as instructed, chugging the magical Antidotes as they were handed to them. H'aanit had to more or less force Linde to down one, but she managed.

Of course, even if they were now momentarily immune to poison, the thick black smoke was starting to hamper their visibility. Then again, that was but a minor problem, and the mayor problem reminded them of its presence with a snarl. And the fact that it was inside of the protective envelope of the Meteor Shield.

"Fu-" Naofumi started to swear, turning, but by then it was too late to act.

Or, at least, too late to act for him. The Ghisarma, having surged back to its feet in spite of its grievous wounds, kicked off against the ground, aiming to bulldoze Naofumi. But Elrasla managed to tackle the Hero of the Shield out of the way, sending both sprawling, but thankfully both of them avoided any damage. Of course, that just meant that the Ghisarma continued unobstructed onward, and it smashed the one thing that was more or less keeping them save in that moment: the Meteor Shield.

The force field made a sound of shattering glass as the Ghisarma smashed through it. In the blink of an eye, the entire situation changed yet again.

And the Ratkin attacked. They surged into the black smoke, uncaring or knowing that the poison mist they had deployed could not harm them. Arrows started flying, and the close range Ratkin fighters ran towards them. Multiple opponents. Low visibility. Chaos. In such a state, they were forced to rely on nothing more than their instincts.

Two shadowed, small statured, chittering forms threw themselves at him from within the smoke, and reflexes took over.

_Shing. Shing. _

Two cries of pain resounded, cutting off in wet, blood curdling gurgles, but Shirou was already moving on. Arrows sliced through the air, and he unconsciously dodged them, even as more and more of the Ratkin engaged him in close quarter combat. Unfortunately, even ganging up on him a dozen to one was not favorable odds for them. Instinct having taken over, Shirou showed no mercy as he cut all the Ratkin attacking him down, most of their retaliatory, haphazard attacks being dodged, and those few that managed to hit him merely skipped off his armor.

The difference between Level, skill, and even equipment was simply too great.

_I need to get to the others! _He thought, frantically dodging through a hail of attacks, his sword all but dancing in his hands as he reaped a bloody toll amongst the Ratkin. Even if he was doing fairly well, a single slip up in conditions like this could be deadly, not to mention that he had no way of knowing if his party members were faring as well as he was. _I need to-_

"Filo commands the origin of power!" was suddenly heard over the din of combat. "Filo has read and deciphered a law of nature! Blow them all away with a raging tornado! Zweit Tornado!"

A twisting, horizontal tornado speared through the clearing, sending the wind whipping, sucking up and scattering the black poison mist. The tornado continued on, sucking up any unlucky Ratkin in its path and carrying them off into the woods, the monsters being shredded in the process.

Shouts of panic briefly eclipsed the constant drone of combat.

Filo's sudden display of powerful magic had cleared their vision, and the Ratkin he had been fighting had stopped in surprise. Not hesitating, Shirou used the opportunity to attack full throttle, his sword cleaving through flesh and fur.

The Ratkin started moving again, but it did not take him long to finish off the last of them, the last of them dying with hatred in their beady eyes.

Shirou took the chance to quickly look around, idly dodging an arrow. Their party had been scattered all over the clearing the ensuing chaos of the Ratkin ambush, but all of them appeared mostly all right, with a few deep cuts being the worst injury. Most of them were still tangling with a few Ratkin – except for Elrasla, who had long since pounded any would be opponent into little more than mush – but they were a minor concern right now. The Ratkin in the trees, who we were even now targeting them with their bows and arrows, were a much larger concern.

"Meteor Shield!"

Luckily, Naofumi seemed to agree with him. Moreover, the cool down for the Meteor Shield seemed to have run its course, the force field snapping into existence around them.

As this was going on, Filo had finished the last few Ratkin she had been fighting with. Filo, Elrasla and Shirou quickly went to aid their party members who were still fighting. Thankfully, it did not take long to finish off the last of the Ratkin inside the Meteor Shield.

"Ah, I was wondering why so few of the Ratkin were attacking us," Elrasla mused out loud.

She was right, and Shirou had noticed it as well. Compared to the sheer amount of Ratkin present, precious few had attacked them directly after the ambush had been sprung. The reason was obvious: most of the Ratkin were targeting the Ghisarma.

Shirou grimaced as he watched the melee unfold outside of the Meteor Shield. It was, in a word, brutal.

The Ghisarma was injured and exhausted, a few of its ribs broken, bleeding from a dozen plus wounds, and one of its hindlegs, the one Shirou had stabbed, dragged behind, unable to support the monster's weight anymore after it had unwisely forced itself to stand and attack Naofumi earlier. But its sheer power hardly seemed to suffer for it. A single swipe from its arms would send a dozen Ratkin flying, their bleeding, broken bodies rag-dolling through the air. In spite of its broken jaw, the Ghisarma still used its maw full of needle like teeth to maul any challenger that got close.

But the Ratkin gave as good as they got, even as a dozen of them seem to die every few seconds. The Ghisarma's power was still intact, but its speed – its most defining aspect – was crippled, as it limped instead of blitzing from end to end of the clearing. Moreover, the Paralysis Naofumi had inflicted on it would flare up and freeze the Ghisarma in place every few seconds.

The Ratkin seized the openings provided with all the cruelty one would expect from monsters.

Their claws, crude short range weapons and arrows pierced the Ghisarma's flesh in a continues brutal display, having to really hammer their attacks in a singular spot in order to pierce its tough skin. But with the sheer one track minded brutality they were showing, the Ratkin were capable of harming the beast.

Whatever beef the Ratkin might have had with them, the enmity between the Ghisarma and the Ratkin was clearly far greater. And weakened as the Ghisarma was after their fight, now was a golden opportunity to get rid of the menace.

And as both the Ratkin and Ghisarma were ignoring them…

"Shirou. Here," Naofumi said, handing over a familiar, spherical object.

The male demi-human looked at it for a moment, then nodded and turned towards the brutal fight.

"What aren thee..?" H'aanit turned to look at them, her eyes widening as it dawned on her what they were about to do.

Shirou watched from within the safety the Meteor Shield, waited until the maximum amount of Ratkin had pressed in close to their hated enemy…and acted the second the Ghisarma froze in place again, the static electricity of the Paralysis locking up its muscles.

The Ghisarma could do little more than widen its eyes as the Incendiary Bomb bounced off the soil in front of its face. Lost in their frenzy as they were, the Ratkin didn't even notice.

_BOOM!_

Fire and force ripped through the clearing, outright sending many of the diminutive Ratkin flying, in pieces more often then not. Those that had been at a safe distance, the ones targeting the Ghisarma with their bows and arrows from the tree branches, fled back into the forest in fear, holding their paws to their sensitive ears as they scampered away in panic and confusion

The Ghisarma's sheer mass saved it from being sent flying, it was far too heavy for that. But that was a cold comfort at best. The Incendiary Bomb had detonated in its face, fire washing over its form and searing flesh from bone. Internally, the close range concussive explosion did terrible damage, causing internal bleedings and even damage to its organs. And the explosion all but shattered the bones that had already been broken during the battle.

Its injuries were fatal, without a doubt, but the Ghisarma was too stubborn to simply lie down and die. It forced itself back on its feet.

H'aanit put an unceremonious end to the Ghisarma by raising her bow and putting one of her arrows between its eyes. Its defiance had given it but a single step before collapsing, finally dead.

"…Harsh," Filo blinked.

"Sometimes, thee needen to be harsh to be'en kind," H'aanit said, Linde growling in agreement with the unfortunate truth.

And with that, the Dark Woods was liberated from its savage invader.

* * *

**Sorry for the long time between updates, guys. I don't really have an excuse, just that a lot of things happened IRL lately.**

**Moreover, I am more or less putting my writing, this story or otherwise, on hiatus for the foreseeable future. I have more or less finished school and started working in my chosen field, but I still need to finish my last project before I get my diploma. So, I'm going to mainly be focusing on that and putting writing on a backburner. Which won't mean I won't be writing at all, but just probably very little and there probably won't be an update until I after I have turned in my project and (hopefully) gained my diploma. **

**So, yeah. Sorry for this, but it is what it is. Hopefully, till soon again!**


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